I suspect many of us will be shipping or delivering gifts to mom and dads this year for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. We all want to avoid unintentionally spreading COVID-19 to our loved ones who have an elevated risk of serious illness and even death from this virus.
Giving the Best Gift
It certainly is the thought that matters. But, winning with a gift brings joy for the recipient and the giver. I love the feeling when my gift was a ‘hit’. I believe anyone can be an effective gift giver. The key is taking notice of what the gift recipient:
- gives others
- talks about
- does for fun
- truly needs
Gifting Experiences is a Challenge Right Now
When I have the choice, I normally like to give an experience, particularly for our elders. My parents and in-laws usually would just buy what they need and they usually had limited living space.
Giving experiences to my mom who is 100% bedridden is a challenge. Gifting an experience during COVID-19 is darn near impossible.
While I’m only shopping for my mom this year, I know many of these gifts shared will also bring joy to any dad.
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day Gift Ideas for 2020
I know we often forget what day of the week it is let alone the date! Mark your mental or physical calendars, here are the parental holidays for 2020:
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 10th
Father’s Day is Sunday, June 21st
Before you start shopping, here’s a money-saving reminder: you can earn cashback for online purchases from MANY sites with Rakuten. Rakuten also automatically applies the online promotion codes before you checkout no more hunting from them on other coupon sites.
Photo Gift Ideas
Using special photos can bring our loved ones back to treasured memories and provide a gentle reminder of the people who love them. Choose a photo and create a jigsaw puzzle or canvas print. You can even put their furry pet face on some custom socks!
My mom has a digital picture frame similar to this one that allows family members to email the frame recent photos. The frame just has to be connected to WiFi.
Daily Journals
The Just for You: a Daily Self-Care Journal makes a great gift for anyone. I wrote it with caregivers in mind but we all benefit from self-love and self-reflection.
A few other ideas include these journals that encourage our parents to share their stories for future generations:
Artwork
We normally think of paintings when we first consider gifting art. However, art comes in many forms. Consider a prayer flag for your loved ones patio. Or, what about a handmade fidget quilt for your loved one with dementia?
Our loved ones would enjoy creating art themselves. I’m intrigued by these reusable water painting kits – when the water dries the ‘paint’ disappears.
Food & Drink
Biolyte – In full disclosure, my husband works for this company AND we are huge consumers of the product. We use it after a great sweat or feeling dehydrated after a night of overindulging. For our aging parents, this medical-grade electrolyte drink for dehydration recovery has many health benefits!
This Crave Box Care Package would provide your gift recipient a snack a day for two months!
Another sign of a great gift is one that you would love! Even if your loved one doesn’t cook, these fresh herbs would liven up a microwaveable meal, store-bought salad, or just make any room smell amazing!
Practical
My mom has had mobility issues much of her adult life. Using a cart on wheels is a huge space saver and has helped her have all of her favorite things within arm’s reach.
Large display digital calendar clock that auto-dims helps those with vision impairment or dementia.
LifeStation’s medical alert service offers the gift of independence and peace of mind. Your parent receives 24/7 protection at the push of a button and you receive caregiver tools to track their location in case of an emergency. There’s also an optional concierge-style service including transportation for doctor visits. LifeStation’s device is discreet and lightweight. It’s GPS-enabled to help you get your parent help wherever they need it.
Subscription Boxes
Brilliant Books – offers 6 months and one-year memberships and large print selections are available. Each selection is guaranteed to delight, or they will replace it with one that does, free of charge.
My mom loves her snacks and it’s fun to try new things! She is currently enjoying the Super Snacker pack from Love With Food. She even shares the snacks with her care professionals who come in to help her which is a sweet way for her to have some little gifts to give. Enjoy up to 50% off your first box!
So many others including Chocolate of the Month Club and Herbal Tea Subscription,
Just Because
My sister Susie won this lifelike Ashton-Drake baby doll at a caregiver conference for mom and it has been a wonderful companion. Mom raised six children and has helped with 11 grandchildren so holding babies is one of her strengths!
For our elders who like to get their hands dirty, this bonsai tree growing kit provides all the ingredients. What a gift to watch something grow and thrive while giving our loved ones a sense of purpose and an outlet for their love and attention.
Use this multi-generational family game as a fun way to engage with our loved ones over a FaceTime or Zoom call.
