Happy birthday, Mom! What do you want for your birthday? No, don’t say “nothing, your love is enough for me, my child.” I know that, and I love you too! I’d still like to show it with a little token, so what kind of token would please you?
Here are five cool gifts a child can get his or her mother for her birthday, perhaps with a little help from the other parental unit:
♥ If you are six years old or under: draw your Mom a picture, maybe a picture of yourself or a picture of Mom. Use crayons, magic markers or finger paints, on nice, big paper (ask your Dad). You can make a frame by pasting popsicle sticka all around the edges of the paper. You can paint the popsicle sticks too. Cover the back of your picture by pasting paper on it, to make it really strong. Even newspaper will work. The back doesn’t have to be so pretty. Then ask your Dad (or an older brother or sister) to put tape all over the paper on the back, so it won’t rip.
♥ If you are between the ages of seven and eleven, you can purchase something for your mother, but she doesn’t expect you to spend a lot, which is good, because you probably haven’t got a lot. A good gift doesn’t have to be expensive. though. You will need an adult’s help to acquire this particular gift because it involves shopping online. Does your Mom have an Italian charm bracelet? This is the kind with little rectangular links that can be removed or replaced, instead of danglign charms. Many people get silvertone or goldtone (or mixed tone) blank charms and then replace them, one by one, with those that have photos or other pictures on them. If she likes beagles, for example, you can get one that already had a picture of a beagle on it, or you can send the seller a photo of your beagle if you’ve got one. If you have a good photo of yourself, you can submit it an eBay seller who makes charms out of photos, you can give your Mom just that one charm, or more charms if you have pictures of other family members, or the charm(s) along with a starter bracelet if she hasn’t yet got one. Each charm may cost a dollar or two, so it’s quite easy to afford, and yet something unique she will love forever.
♥ If you are between the ages of twelve and fifteen, you might have a little money saved up from your allowance, babysitting, a paper route or some other part-time job. This will allow you to get your Mom a gift that you couldn’t afford when you were younger. Take a look at her wardrobe; what does she like to wear? Perhaps you can find her a blouse to go with her favorite skirt or jeans, or a skirt to go with her favorite top. You can try to match the exact color, or you can get a garment in a contrasting color with something on it that matches what she has (for example, if you’re trying to match a pink skirt, how about a different colored blouse with pink buttons, or pink piping?) Don’t try to buy her shoes; shoes are hard to fit. You can find her blouse or skirt size easily. Jeans and other pants, on the other hand, are also hard to fit, so they’d be harder to get right. Want to make it more personal? Get online (with the help of an adult with a credit card) and find a company that customizes tee-shirts with photos, and make her a shirt with your picture on it!
♥ If you are sixteen or older, you can probably go shopping on your own, maybe even online (although there is no shame in asking for help). Get your Mom a gadget! But what’s the right gadget? That depends on your Mom’s tastes and your budget. If she hates cooking, a kitchen gadget might not be the right choice. (On the other hand, if she hates cooking but has to do it anyway, a slow cooker might ease her burden, and they can cost as little as $10 if you catch them on sale — under $20 wouldn’t be unusual.) If she loves music, she may already have an iPod, but there are inexpensive accessories available all over the net (Amazon and eBay spring to mind). If CDs and DVDs are more her thing, get her something she hasn’t got already by someone she likes (be it a concert CD or DVD, a movie or a TV special). If you have a webcam, you can put together a home movie she’ll treasure forever.
♥ No matter how old or young you are, you can give your Mom a gift card for something she really enjoys (if you’re very young, just ask an adult for help choosing one and getting it). Does she need to relax? Get her a card for a spa! Does she like shopping? Get her one for her favorite real-life or online store. Does she like water parks or amusement parks almost as much as you do? Ask the rest of your family to chip in and get a day pass.
If none of the above is exactly what your Mom would like, or what your budget will allow, hopefully it will get your gray matter churning and you’ll come up with something even better. Remember: no matter what you get your Mom, she’s going to love that you thought of her on her birthday! That makes every gift the right gift.
