People tend to either love or hate Christmas. For some, the mix of time spent with loved ones, gifts, sumptuous food, and wintery coziness is the highlight of the year. For others, it’s an awful blend of capitalism, over-eating, and interaction with family members you spent the entire year doing your best to avoid.
Wherever you fall on the spectrum, one thing’s for sure: you want to make your mom happy. If that doesn’t describe you, you can stop reading now as the information in this post won’t be of much use. If it’s a fairly accurate observation, however, then you’re in the right place. We’re going to cover seven super-practical tips for putting a giant smile on your mom’s face during the festive period. Let’s dive in.
- Wear the Sweater She Made You
Yep, we know it sucks. It’s baggy, itchy, and always either slightly too warm or a tad too cold. Oh, and it looks awful.
We’re in complete agreement that homemade sweaters should have been outlawed decades ago. But you should still wipe away the cobwebs and pull it out from the corner of your wardrobe. It will mean a lot to your good ole mum, who probably spent hours knitting the thing.
Keep in mind that it’s just for a day. Maybe a few at most. And nobody will see you in it…hopefully.
- Don’t Forget to Send a Christmas Card
A lot of people nowadays think that Christmas cards are a waste of time. The messages are trite and gushing, and the artwork often isn’t great either. And they’re not exactly cheap.
But if your mom is a little old-fashioned (as moms tend to be), she’ll appreciate the extra thought that goes into a card, irrespective of whether you’re buying her a gift.
Even better, you can use an online Christmas card maker to save on paper and alter the design and message. It won’t cost you much (if anything), and you can add a truly personal touch.
- Get Her a Gift She’ll Appreciate
Don’t leave it until a few days before Christmas to pick a gift. You’ve probably been there before. You keep saying you’ll get round to it, and before you know it, the calendar reads “24th December”. So you have to traipse out on Christmas Eve to buy gifts, when all the shops are packed with people and most of the good things have gone.
If you’re unsure about what to get your mom, go down the practical route. Clothes, household items, car accessories, and so on are all good options. And don’t forget to keep the receipt, just in case she doesn’t like it.
- Offer to Help Out (Especially With Cooking)
Christmas is one of the most hectic times of the whole year, and this is particularly the case for the big day itself. If your mom is hosting your entire family, an extra hand will probably be appreciated.
In particular, don’t be shy about offering to help with the cooking. The kitchen is the place where most activity is focused on Christmas day. There’s a good chance that your mom will be overwhelmed, so be of assistance in any way that you can. You might even want to offer to cook the whole Christmas dinner!
- Ask Her How She’s Feeling
Often, it’s the simple things that have the most profound effects. A straightforward, “How are you doing?” might be all that’s required to make your mom happy. If you’re spending an extended period of time with your family, it’s worth regularly checking in with your mom to see how you can help. And if you’re just visiting for Christmas Day, ask her how she is as soon as you arrive.
Many people mask their feelings over the festive period. There’s a lot of pressure to appear jovial and upbeat. But this doesn’t mean that feelings which are common at this time of year – stress, loneliness, financial worries – automatically go away.
- Help With Practical Household Tasks
If you’re not needed in the kitchen, offer to help in other ways. Over Christmas, there are usually lots of jobs that need doing, from shoveling snow on the driveway to pouring drinks for dinner guests.
You can also take on tasks that your mom is usually responsible for, like cleaning, gift-wrapping, setting the table, and so on. She’ll almost certainly be glad to have a break.
- Just Get Out of the Way!
This is a simple but important point. Sometimes you just need to get out of the way! Keep that in mind next time you’re trying to take charge of the turkey carving when your mom could do a much better job.
Conclusion
For most people, Christmas is a happy and fun period of the year. And while there are challenges, like the stress of managing Christmas dinner, finding the money for gifts, and having to spend time with difficult family members, by and large, it tends to be an enjoyable experience (even in spite of the terrible Christmas sweater).
A lot of the responsibility for making Christmas a “success” will fall on your mom. And it’s understandable if she ends up feeling stressed and overwhelmed. The simple tips in this article will help you ensure that she’s happy, which is, ultimately, the best possible gift you can give.
