This year for Mother’s Day, you could get your mom a card, maybe some flowers, or even a box of chocolates. Let’s be real, though—while she may appreciate those things, they might not actually be what she actually wants or needs. Instead of something material that will wilt, get eaten, or just get thrown away, why not think up a more unique Mother’s Day gift idea? We’re using this Mother’s Day as the perfect opportunity to help my mom up to date with all of the latest technology she needs help with.
Sometimes hanging out with my mom these days feels like I am working at the Genius Bar in the Apple Store. She always has the same questions—whether she’s trying to understand a new feature on her phone, or how to get a certain website to work properly. We never really spend the right amount of time answering her questions or solving the problems, so we end up going over them again and again. So this year, I am taking an active role in making sure she is squared away with all of her mobile phone and internet needs.
Here’s Our Mother’s Day Tech Revamp Game Plan:
We’ll start with a nice brunch to celebrate her properly, of course. Then my gift to her will be to go over every question she might have about her smartphone, email system, and computer. It will give us the opportunity to update her software, and teach her all of the new tricks.
If you’re looking to give your mom a tech revamp as a gift, here are some agenda items you could include:
- Teach her how to back up photos to the cloud
- Teach her how to print photos from her phone to her home printer
- Teach her how to order photo prints from Walmart or Walgreens on her computer
- Teach her how to use Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest
- Teach her how to use voice dialing and voice to text
- Explain emojis and internet abbreviations (LOL)
- Give her some tips on basic social media, photo sharing, and texting etiquette
- Show her some basic computer shortcuts (like hot corners or multi touch gestures)
Additionally, I am going to hook my mom up with a streaming stick so that she can get caught up on all of the newest TV shows. (I’m going with a Roku streaming stick, since you can get a refurbished one for only $40 bucks.) Then I am going to set her up with her own profile on my Netflix account and help her curate a list of all the shows she would like to watch.
Chances are, you are always going to be your mom’s go-to IT person. Make it easier for both of you by writing down clear instructions on how to do some of these things, and then you can spend more quality time with each other instead of huddling around a phone or computer. Plus, this will free you up so that your kids can teach you about the tech things that you don’t understand.
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