Short on Time but Not on Love: Why I Love Mommy Jar Gift

Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Common. 

Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Common. 

Mother’s Day is just a few days away. Stuck in an idea rut for Mother’s Day gift? I was too, until I searched around and found this super cute idea that’s sure to steal any mommy’s heart. AliLily blog offered a handful of fun Mother’s Day crafts, but the “I Love Mommy Because” jar was by far my favorite. I put my own little spin on the idea and am excited to see my MomBoss’s face when my charges give her the jar.

Here’s what you’ll need.

  •  Construction paper (Mommy's favorite colors)
  • Scissors
  • Pen
  • Markers
  • Crayons
  • Stickers
  • Ribbon
  • Anything else you can use to decorate the jar

Instructions

  1. Cut the construction paper into various sizes of heart shapes.
  2. Sit down with your charges and chat with them about their mom. I really took this time to have a conversation with them so they would produce great answers. My charges are 4 and 2, so their brains needed to be warmed up a little. I could easily ask the four year old why she loved her mom while getting great answers. The twin toddlers I look after were a little trickier because they’re so young. I would start by saying “A (or K) loves Mommy because...” and then they would finish the sentence.
  3. Write their answers down on the heart. If you charge is able to write, let them write their answers on their own. If your charge can write their name, let them sign their name at the bottom of each heart.
  4. Have your charges decorate the mason jar with stickers, ribbons, and a drawing of their mom.
  5. Fill the jar with the hearts and, most importantly, your charges’ love.

I plan on asking my MomBoss to keep the jar because I want to fill it with new hearts next year. To keep things organized, I wrote “2013” on the back of this year’s hearts so she will be able to look back on them in the future. What are you planning to make with your charges for Mother’s Day?