Mother's Day Gifts That Contribute To Her Mental And Physical Health

Mother's Day has a unique meaning to every family that celebrates it, but the general idea is to celebrate mothers and the hard work they do or did raising their kids. Every mother knows that mothering is a uniquely important job that brings similarly unique challenges.

We may love our kids more than anyone in the world, but they also makes us want to pull our hair out sometimes. All moms are different. Some struggle to juggle a job out of the home with their family life. Some do battle with the washing machine. Some have the joy of teaching their kids at home, along with the frustration. Others look after children with special needs, care for an elderly parent, or work on their PhD. We all enjoy being appreciated, though we may feel we don't deserve that at times.

What should you get your mother for mother's day? What should you get your wife or partner to acknowledge the hard work she shares with you? Or... what should you give to that friend or neighbor to give her some special encouragement?

Flowers and chocolate are so yesterday. Give the special mom in your life a gift that contributes in an area she really needs — something that will improve her physical health, or something that will give her the opportunity to truly recuperate.

A Gym Membership

Most moms don't have as much time as they need to work out. If you are an adult daughter or a husband, a gym membership is one of the best gifts you could possibly offer. Investigate gyms local to your loved one that have programs you think will appeal to her. Moms who have small kids at home would be so happy if you would offer to babysit once or twice a week so she can go to the gym freely, without worrying about the little ones.

Not all moms enjoy working out in a gym, but all benefit from regular physical activity. What should you get a mom who hates working out on machines? Yoga, swimming, pilates, krav maga, cycling, climbing or gardening classes are all great alternatives that will get her active.

The opportunity to work out is a great gift, because it will contribute to the mom's long-term physical health, will get her out of the house, and will even help her fight mild depression. While I think a gym membership or other exercise classes are good for any mom, there are two categories of moms that would appreciate this in particular — retired moms of adult kids, and moms who had babies relatively recently, and who need to work on weight loss after pregnancy.

More Fun And Healthy Mother's Day Gifts

Scrapbooking Supplies

Scrapbooking is a cool way to relax and spend time creatively. Basic scrapbooking supplies are also surprisingly expensive, and moms who may enjoy this craft might well feel guilty about spending money on it. Is the mother you have in mind crafty? Why not get her some scrapbooking supplies that will set her up with hours of fun?

Scrapbooking paper, brads, stickers, stamps and ink, colored sellotapes  scrapbooking templates, mini albums and boxes are just some of the things that will come in handy for scrapbooking. Those people who have never heard of this craft before can hit Google to find websites that sell the right supplies, and blogs that give you some idea of what scrapbooking entails.

Do you think your mom won't be into scrapbooking? Other crafty ideas include a sewing machine, knitting or crocheting supplies, a book about refurbishing old furniture along with acrylic paints, brushes, and wax, gardening tools, a good drill or sanding machine, and beads to make jewelry are some other crafty ideas.

Cooking Classes Or Recipe Books

Does the mom you need a gift for love cooking? Signing her up for some special cooking classes could be a wonderful idea. She may like to learn about Asian cooking, cake decorating, Italian food, or raw food. Busy moms with young kids could really benefit from cooking ideas that would enable her to make healthy meals that are ready really quickly — and even more from someone else carrying them out.

Recipe books are always a great gift for moms who would like new inspiration. I suggest food-related gifts because a healthy and balanced diet forms the very foundation of health, fitness and sanity. Is your mom a little overweight? Avoid coming up with dieting suggestions for Mother's Day — don't risk offending her or making her feel bad on this special day.

Another great food-related Mother's Day idea is to give her vouchers. She'll love take-out vouchers for local but healthy eateries. She'd love to have lunch with her friends as well. If you are a husband or teenage child hoping to celebrate the mom in your life, you could also give her vouchers that give her the right to have you cook a healthy and thoughtful meal for her... let's say a dozen times. (Not that you shouldn't be doing that anyway, but you may not).

A Spa Experience

Never fall into the trap of buying something others would be using for Mother's Day — something that happens all too often. A a day at a spa resort is very indulgent. It allows anyone to truly relax and new strength, but it could be a little boring if she went by herself.

Adult daughters could plan a mother-daughter day at the spa, while families with younger children would make mom happy with a spa day for her and a friend of her choice. Massage, swimming, mud baths, facial treatments, manicures and pedicures... what woman would not enjoy being pampered for a whole day?

A day at the spa is something many moms would remember for the rest of their lives, but which they would never gift to themselves.

What are you planning to give to that special mom in your life? Share your own healthy Mother's Day gift ideas to give other would-be gift givers even more inspiration.