11 Nice Things You Could Do For Your Mom Right Now

1. Call her.

Just give her a call. She wants to hear from you. She wants to know the mundane details of your day. It makes her day.

2. Send her a card in the mail.

Moms love snail mail. Go to the pharmacy and get her a cheesy card. She totally won’t expect it and everyone loves getting mail.

3. Email her a funny photo.

Moms are generally still totally baffled and amused by the internet. Has she seen the forward where George Bush looks like a monkey? Better late than never.

4. Send her flowers.

This just takes a little money and clicking on a website. And she’ll be totally floored.

5. Get a flu shot.

My mom has been bugging me to get one for months. It would ease her mind greatly if I just went out and did it.

6. Go visit her.

I live really far from my parents but if you live close by, why not surprise them with a visit? Bring ’em a bottle of wine or something to prove you’re a grown up.

7. Ask her about her childhood.

Your mom won’t be here forever and she certainly had a life before you. Why not ask her for some stories from when she was your age? You might get some wisdom and insight you wouldn’t get otherwise.

8. Rub her shoulders.

Moms are stressed out. They probably carry a lot of tension in their shoulders. Why not have her sit down and rub her shoulders for a bit? It’s a nice thing to do for anyone but especially the person who cleaned your shit as a child.

9. Tell her something that’s really on your mind.

Don’t just give her the usual “fine” and “okay.” If she asks how you are, really give her some details. Share your life. Tell her a true story.

10. Make her a mix CD.

Every year I would make my dad a mix CD of the most popular songs of that year just to keep him relevant. It helped him feel in the loop with youth culture and gave us something cool to talk about. Why not do this for your mom? (Or whichever parent you’d like.) They’ll feel like you really want them to connect with your generation.

11. Explain memes to her.

Even better! Make her the savviest, most internet friendly mom ever. When she goes into the office, she’ll impress even the college-aged intern with her knowledge of pop culture and memes. You’re being a friend and helping her stay cool, which is the best gift a young person can give their mom.

PS: I would not recommend getting a tattoo for her (though I have! Really!), unless you’ve cleared it with her first. Some moms would probably consider keeping your skin clean a way better gift. Oh moms. So silly and sweet.