WAYS TO MAKE MOTHERS DAY SPECIAL EVEN WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING
The pandemic has forced us all to get creative in one way or another about spending quality time together. Don’t let Mom suffer silently from loneliness while social distancing on Mother’s Day, her special day. There is plenty you can do – here are some ways to celebrate and spend time together, whether you are under the same roof or not. We also share some thoughtful gift ideas!
Get creative but be sure to celebrate safely:
- Even if you can’t go to a restaurant to share a special meal, pick up or have her favorite delivered to her door. You could also make and drop off her favorite dessert. If you can’t share it together in person, facetime or zoom, and be sure to include the grandkids!
- Drive by or visit from a distance. You’ve seen on Facebook how an impromptu parade can make a special birthday an event for those self-quarantining. Whether one car or more, taping a brightly colored Mother’s sign to the vehicle and driving by with the horn honking can be exciting for someone cooped up all day. If you can get to a window – even better – hold up handmade cards, and shout I love you through the glass. BE SURE TO CALL AHEAD!
- Many outdoor restrictions have already been lifted in some areas. Arrange for a walk outdoors, visit to the park, stroll on the golf course, or a drive by the beach. Bring a mask just in case, but it should be rather easy to observe the 6 foot rule outside.
- Share an experience together, the choices online are endless – for example,
- Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals are free on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdmPjhKMaXNNeCr1FjuMvag/featured
- The NY Philharmonic has performances on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/NewYorkPhilharmonic/
- Travel the hidden world of our national parks and explore nature: https://artsandculture.withgoogle.com/en-us/national-parks-service/
- Enjoy the collections of the Vatican museum from your armchair: http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/tour-virtuali-elenco.html
- Swim into the Georgia Aquarium: https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/indo-pacific-barrier-reef/
- Quiet time in the home lends itself to card games, scrabble, puzzles, baking cookies, reminiscing through old photos – remember the best gift is the gift of your time!
- Flower shops and FTD are still taking orders for floral arrangements to be delivered, but you must order in advance, not wait till the last minute.
- You can still pop a card in the mail – enclose a recent photo and special handwritten note to make it even more special. Or arrange for a gift card from her favorite store with a special message.
- Give the gift of technology! Order a kindle, tablet, Echo, or even a ViewClix which not only displays photos but acts as a device that receives video calls. Great for those with early dementia or poor eyesight, there is nothing to press due to an auto-answer feature: https://viewclix.com/.
- Make up a gift basket to drop off with lovely soaps, hand cream, slippers or no slip socks, perfume, scented tissues, a pretty shawl, spring colored nail polish and lipstick, new coffee mug, special teas, etc. If you can visit and stay for a while, offer to give Mom a mani/peni at home.
- Get crafty! Choose from an array of Senior coloring books on Amazon, pick up cut flowers from the market and arrange them together, make your own hand sanitizer and put in pretty bottles: https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-make-hand-sanitizer/, even re-grow veggies from kitchen scraps: https://www.ruralsprout.com/regrow-vegetables/
We hope you enjoy Sunday, May 10th! All of us send a special shout out to all the wonderful Moms out there!!
CONTACT US: Make Mom feel special every day, not just on holidays. Consider the gift of home care services or companionship care to help with Mom’s every day needs in the home. It can give you peace of mind, as well as eliminate the added stress that comes with being a family caregiver. If you have assessed your loved one’s needs lately and seen a decline, or feel there is room for improvement in the quality of their life, please contact us for a free consultation. Help is more affordable than you think. Call 561-327-7611.
Till Next Time!
Irv Seldin, JD, President and Owner, Visiting Angels of the Palm Beaches
*THIS ARTICLE IS NOT INTENDED AS MEDICAL ADVICE.