The Way to a Mother's Heart – Part I

What is it about a mother that equips her to give and give and give? Nearly every mom I know consistently puts her family’s needs ahead of her own. Yes, there are a few self-centered moms out there, but they are the exception and not the rule.

Moms get up at all hours of the night to feed a baby. To nurse a sick child. To help with a school project. Moms forgo sleep, time and money to put their families first. To pay for piano lessons or sports equipment or summer camp instead of a new sofa or outfit for themselves. When God blesses a woman with the gift of motherhood, He seems to unlock a reservoir of love and unselfishness that continues to flow throughout her life.

The month of May is here again, and with it, Mother’s Day. The holiday provides a great opportunity to celebrate and honor mothers for all that they give throughout the year. But what is the most meaningful way to do that?

Breakfast in bed? Flowers? A special gift? A  pretty card? All of those ideas are great. But, down deep, every mother longs to know that she is making a difference in the life of her child. And nothing does that quite  as effectively as a child’s heartfelt expression of what they value about their mom.

I have two great gift ideas for Mother’s Day that will enable a child to do just that. Today’s gift would be more appropriate coming from an elementary school-aged child. In my next post, I’ll share a creative idea that would be more suited as a gift from a teenager or older child.

The photograph shows a gift my daughter made for me when she was in the third grade. (Yes, the portrait does look exactly like me!) One of the things I really love about this gift is the mat that surrounds the portrait. It’s filled with words she picked to describe my character. Affirming words. Words that reminded me that she really valued me. I loved this in 2002 and I love it today!

Dads, here is your opportunity to be a hero. This weekend, why not help your child create a gift for Mother’s Day (it is next Sunday, May 12th) that will absolutely delight your wife?

Here’s your step-by-step guide:

Gather Supplies:

Photograph of mother and child. Enlarge to 5×7 size. (CVS, FedEx Office have machines)

Craft store supplies: (Michael’s or Hobby Lobby) 

8×10 white paper mat with an opening for a 5 x 7 picture. (You might buy two, just in case!)

Black Sharpie marker

Colored markers

Preparation

Sit down with your child and ask them to describe their mother. Ask them what makes their mom so special and what they love about their mom. Look for words such as: wonderful, caring, funny, loving, generous, smart, helpful, understanding, cheerful, sensitive, fun, cool, cozy. Make a list of about 10 words and ensure they are spelled correctly.

Creating the frame:

Based on the photograph that will be used, make sure your child knows whether the mat will be used horizontally or vertically, and where the “top” of the frame is.

With the colored markers, have the child decorate the frame with a design of their creation. Make sure the marker colors used for the design aren’t too dark.

After the colorful design is completed, it’s time to write the descriptive words on the mat. Maybe they’ll want to pick one adjective that is the “theme.” That word can be written at the top of the frame. Happy Mother’s Day, 2013 can be written at the bottom of the mat. Then at various angles around the mat, the other descriptive words can be written.

Tape the photograph onto the back of the mat. Voila! The gift is complete!

Your child will take great pride in creating a custom work of art that expresses their love for their mother.

And what mother wouldn’t cherish a gift like this?