Mother’s Day is Sunday, so don’t forget to say thanks to your mom. But I’m going to go a step further and thank all the moms out there.
Especially those mothers who help foster a love of the outdoors in their kids. Maybe it’s as simple as booting the little noisemakers outside for an hour or two, so she can get a little peace and quiet in the house for a bit. That’s not as selfish as it may sound. Kids who get several hours of unsupervised outdoor play each week have lower incidences of hyperactivity disorders than kids who are constantly under their parents’ thumbs. It’s difficult to let those kids out of your sight at times, but it’s important for their development. And it’s also important for the parents’ sanity.
But there are a lot of mothers out there who like to join in that outdoor fun. They go out in the yard and throw the ball around with their kids, or maybe jump on the trampoline with them. Better yet, they take the kids fishing, camping, or hunting.
You don’t have to wait until Father’s Day to go fishing. If your mom enjoys fishing, why not include a trip to her favorite fishing hole in your planning for her perfect day? But for once, don’t make her do all the work. Instead of making her put the worm on your hook, do it yourself, and let her spend her time actually fishing, instead of doting on the kids – and Dad. Or better yet, bait her hook for a change.
And for heaven’s sake, don’t give her a mixer or a vacuum for a present. Give her an assortment of dry flies, instead. Or maybe a new tackle box full of Mepps spinners and Rapalas.
And then take her outside to use ‘em. Make it a perfect Mother’s Day.
