You can’t put a price on mom

Toronto ON – This year, Mother's Day falls on Sunday, May 13, and children will be wracking their brains for the perfect gift to buy their mom. Statistics Canada reports there are 9.2 million moms[1] in Canada; 72.9 per cent of them are employed with children[2] under 16 living at home, and they spend on average 209 minutes[3] per day with their family. During that time, mom is probably busy making dinner, driving carpool and other household responsibilities.

"You can't put a price on how much you love your mom," says Jeffrey Schwartz, executive director of Consolidated Credit Counseling Services of Canada, Inc. "What children can do, without raiding their bank accounts, is demonstrate through acts of kindness, how much they value mom and the positive impact she has on their lives."

The gift of time is one of the best acts of kindness a child can give. When you consider the fast-paced life most moms lead, 209 minutes isn't much during the course of the day. Children can give mom any of these long-lasting, priceless gifts:

• Keep their belongings neat and tidy instead of mom doing it
• Say "thank you" for making dinner rather than asking "what's for dinner"
• Put their dishes in the dishwasher
• Give mom a night off to do what she chooses rather than her focusing on what they need
• Offer mom compliments and praise
• Create a homemade gift or card
• Give her a lesson on the new technology in the house
• SQUIRT – Some Quiet Uninterrupted Reading Time

If children do plan on buying a Mother's Day present, hopefully it won't be one from the list of worst gifts Canadian moms have ever received. The list includes: garbage can, frog, lawnmower, wheelbarrow, car mats, beer, dish cloths, oversized track pants, and a card that said "You're just like a mother to me." Did mom really need you to spend your hard-earned money on one of these gifts? Doubt it!

[1] In 2006

[2] In 2009

[3] In 2005