As a culture, sometimes we lose sight of the obvious: there are many kinds of mothers. They are our parents, partners, colleagues, sisters, friends, and confidants. Some are new moms, working moms, stay-at-home moms, single moms, or empty-nest moms. And somehow all these mothers — millions of women! — get honored in the same old ways, with bouquets of tulips and nice bathrobes and bottles of perfume for Mother’s Day.
Today we’re celebrating the mothers in your life (and that includes you, for all the moms who are reading) with this list of recommendations from our collection that are a little more personal and, well, useful.
1. Give the gift of a good night’s sleep.
Babies are demanding bosses — and they’re not exactly known known for their time-management skills. New moms will appreciate ON BECOMING BABYWISE, the trusted guide that new parents seek out when they need to get some shuteye. Once the baby’s schedule clicks, everyone wins: cheerful, well-rested little ones are less fussy, which benefits mom (and the entire household).
2. Support her ambitions.
Is there a stay-at-home mom in your life who may be itching to rejoin the workforce? Even in today’s world, it can be especially difficult for women to balance the demands of a career and child-rearing. MONEY-MAKING MOM is an entrepreneurial guide filled with practical advice and inspiring stories for moms who want to build a business at their own pace.
3. Provide a little inspiration.
Do you know a mom who’s first in line for every superhero movie? Feed her brain and brighten up her free time with a fascinating piece of pop culture history. THE SECRET HISTORY OF WONDER WOMAN explores the feminist movement through the eyes of one of comics’ most inspiring characters.
4. Offer some advice.
Mother’s Day can be a mixed bag of emotions for moms-to-be who are excited, but anxious, about what’s to come. This time, Google isn’t going to cut it. For an authoritative resource based on some of the medical community’s most respected voices, try Instaread’s insights into MAYO CLINIC GUIDE TO A HEALTHY PREGNANCY.
5. Give her peace of mind.
Motherhood is a high-stress job. Mindfulness and meditation are two of the biggest buzzwords in our cultural conversation right now. But what is mindfulness? And how does one meditate? Our insights into WHEREVER YOU GO, THERE YOU ARE provides simple answers and tried-and-true techniques for moms who are looking for a little Zen as she stands in the grocery line…and balances the family budget…and paints the nursery. You get the idea.
6. Make her laugh.
We probably all know a mom who could use a good chuckle. Jenny Lawson is a blogger and humorist who has learned to make the most out of the dark things in life. Her memoir FURIOUSLY HAPPY explores her experience with clinical depression, her relationship with her daughter Hailey, and the way she’s used her blog and social media to connect with friends and fans. Belly laughs guaranteed.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Your Friends at Instaread
