8 Simple Ways to Express Thanks to Working Moms Today

My three friends and I created a movement three years ago. A movement to show our working moms that we are super impressed by them and all that they juggle every day as a mom, spouse, professional, daughter, sibling and friend to others.

The movement is called Working Mothers Day and this year, it takes place on Friday, May 8, two days before Mother’s Day. One day just isn’t enough for these amazing women!

As one of the co-founders of Working Mothers Day, I was interested to learn about a 2015 Harvard University study about working moms and their children. The study involved families in 24 countries and found that, as adults, daughters with a working mom are more likely to have jobs themselves, hold a supervisory responsibility in those jobs, and earn higher wages than daughters whose mom chose not to work. The study also found that, as adults, sons raised by working mothers are more likely to contribute to household chores and spend more time caring for family members.

This caught my attention because being raised by my working mom could end up having life-long positive effects on me! Even though I don’t exactly know yet what career I want to go into when I’m an adult, I do know the things I’m learning today just by watching my mom be who she is.

I am learning about courage, confidence, problem solving, planning, and supporting the well-being of others.

Just think about all of the surprises this year’s coronavirus pandemic created for our moms (and our dads, too!), and it’s not hard to guess just how much work went into making us feel safer and more stable in during those huge changes.

I have come to realize that motherhood can be challenging for every mom, and it certainly doesn’t get simpler for all the working moms out there. On average, they work from approximately 6:30 in the morning to 8:30 at night every day. That’s about the same as 2.5 full-time jobs!

We think working moms deserve a lot of thankfulness and credit for how they’re shaping our lives, and that’s why my friends and I decided to create this day to do just that. We consider it a bonus day to Mother’s Day, but really, don’t working moms deserve our gratitude every day?

Working Mothers Day is now here for 2020 and we invite kids everywhere to join us in our movement and do something touching for your working mom today.

Here are 8 easy and free ideas to get you started!

1. Create a cellphone video wishing your mom a Happy Working Mothers Day and text it to her.
2. Send your mom an emoji-only text that explains (in emojis) how impressive she is.
3. Ask her to tell you about the reasons she picked the job/career she has.
4. Ask her to tell you the favorite part of her day today, and why.
5. Pack a lunch for her to take to work.
6. Start the family dinner off with a toast to your working mom.
7.  Create a homemade card, drawing, or poem that expresses to her how much you value her love and guidance.
8. Share photos, video, or an update on your social media accounts using #WorkingMothersDay and thanking your mom. Be sure to wear green, the official color of Working Mothers Day!

We hope you join us this weekend in honoring all moms, because they are truly the superheroes in our lives.