4 Tips to Appreciate Your Grandkids’ Mom on Mother’s Day

Oh, the ways we adore our grandkids! We marvel at every little movement and sound they make during their first year. We brag to our friends about their clever little handprint paintings and precious smiles. We rave about what great sleepers and eaters they are. With each birthday comes a new academic, artistic, or athletic achievement that astounds us. They master reading, math, a musical instrument, or a sport and we are there cheering them on.

Consider These Questions

Do we stop to think about who provided our grandkids with all these growth opportunities that allow them to shine? Do we acknowledge their parents for the hours they put in chauffeuring them to these activities? Do we appreciate the sacrifices our grandkids’ parents make every day when they put their children’s needs ahead of their own?

If you haven’t thanked your grandkids’ parents lately,  – especially their moms – here’s a reminder. On Mother’s Day, acknowledge your daughter or daughter-in-law for all the time and energy she’s put into nurturing your grandkids. Be genuine and speak from your heart. The more your appreciation comes from your heart, the more likely it is to have a meaningful impact on the person you’re acknowledging.

4 Tips to Express Your Appreciation

Here are some simple tips to make sure your acknowledgments are genuine:

Be specific. Let her know what you appreciate about her, specifically, or what she did that you want to thank her for.

Acknowledge them in person if at all possible. Nothing is quite as powerful as an eye-to-eye and heart-to-heart connection.

Be spontaneous and present. When you let the words come to you, what you say is always more meaningful and genuine. You can jot down some thoughts but trust that whatever there is to say will come out exactly as it should.

Say what you mean and mean what you say. Just let her know what you respect, admire, appreciate, and want to thank her for. Let her know how she’s affected you in a positive way and why you appreciate her.

The most important aspect of acknowledging people is our intention. If our intention is to love them, thank them, appreciate them, fill them up, or let them know how grateful we are for who they are and what they’ve done, we cannot really mess up our acknowledgment.

If you miss the opportunity on Mother’s Day, remember that appreciation is welcome any day of the year!