Moms enjoy receiving gifts, yet as we grow older we really need fewer things. In fact many seniors are now “gifting” their children and grandchildren with things they have owned that they feel they will enjoy.
So when a special occasion is approaching what does a child do? The thing seniors want most is something that can be hard to find…YOUR TIME! Instead of wrapped presents our children have been giving us and our grandchildren “experiences.”..time at a spa, a train ride, a boat trip…
From our book “The Best of the Rest – Downsizing for Boomers and Seniors” here are some suggestions for children who live nearby and children who live far away.
Take mom to a movie or some live entertainment that she would enjoy. Get a dvd you feel she would enjoy and make time to watch it with her.
Enjoy a manicure or pedicure together.
Invite her to your home to show you or a grandchild how to make a favorite recipe.(Make sure you have the ingredients.)
“Borrow” her car and have the oil changed or have it professionally detailed for her.
Take her shopping to buy a new outfit (or an item for her home) at a shop she likes.
Go to her home and plant some flowers in her yard or in a container on her balcony.
Have several family members arrive to do yard work or spring cleaning.
Hire a photographer to take a picture of “mom” with her family.
Make a cd of her favorite songs and listen to them with her.
Gather some family pictures and put them in an album for her, then spend time looking at them together if you can.
Many seniors are on Facebook. Recognize how she was a good mom or grandma on Facebook.
Get her an i-phone or i-pad so you can spend Face Time with her and she can see what is happening in your life when you live far away.
Teach her how to use SKYPE to stay in touch.
Fly with her to visit a friend or family member.
Take her to her place of worship.
TELL HER YOU LOVE HER
Spend time going through some old photos with her. Have her tell you about the people.
Pick her up and go for a drive to a favorite neighborhood. Stop for a coffee or cup of tea and a special dessert.
“Shower” her with cards from family and friends. I contacted many people about an upcoming birthday and it was exciting to see all the cards arrive from people she had lost touch with.
Arrange to have flowers delivered once a month for a year.
Do a collage of family or friends or pets or even homes she lived in.
Get a large picture frame then write 20 or 50 “special moments” in her life on a piece of paper or cardboard and put it in the frame.
Make time to play cards or a favorite board game like Scrabble.
Hire a companion to take her for regular walks or drives.
Hire someone to come and read with her. (Many seniors have difficulty reading yet enjoy books or current events.)
Some inexpensive but practical gifts are: a gift certificate for taxis, a bulletin board, a box of home made cookies or fudge, home made jam, kleenex, body or hand lotion, soap, shampoo or toothpaste, a magazine subscription, fresh fruit, a new flat-screen tv, a big-button telephone, a large-print crossword book, art or craft supplies, frozen gourmet dinners, batteries,writing paper, envelopes and stamps….
Downsizing For Boomers And Seniors 