Mother’s Day is an opportunity to show the mothers in our lives how much we appreciate them and the sacrifices they make. One way we can show our appreciation is to help make our mothers’ lives easier, not just on Mother’s Day but year round. Each mom has a unique set of challenges in her life and it’s important to pay attention and pick up on where your help might be most useful.

For mothers whose jobs require them to travel frequently, I know from experience that it can be a stressful experience. My mom used to travel quite often when my siblings and I were much younger. She had to go on these trips to provide for our family, but it still made her feel guilty about leaving us behind. Luckily, we found ways to make the experience more enjoyable for all of us and it helped bring our family closer even though the distance kept us apart.

As we discussed on the show www.mba4succes.com has ten great tips for working moms who travel. Perhaps the underlying theme of these tips is that it’s important to involve your children in the process. It may feel like you are protecting them by keeping information from them, but when they are given details about the trip, they can gain a better understanding of the situation. It will help ease their own worries and as time goes on, they will learn how to cope with the absence in their own ways.

Mothers can involve their children by letting them help pack their suitcases. Some children might also want to give their mother something of their own to take along on the trip. It can be comforting to children to know that even while their mother is away, they have something of theirs to remember them by.

Families can also prepare special calendars that map out the trip. That way, children have their own way of reassuring themselves about the length of the trip and how much longer they have to wait until they can see their mother again. Adding a piece of candy for each day their mother is gone gives them even more to look forward to as they count down the days.

While the mother is away, friends and family can make the it easier on both the mother and her children by having something special planned. If the mother travels frequently, caretakers can create a ritual with the children, something they do only when the mother is away. It can be a night at the movies, a trip to an arcade or building a blanket fort at home. Not only does it give them something to look forward to but it also distracts the children from the sadness they may be feeling while missing their mother.

Scheduling Skype chats and phone calls for particularly long trips can also be a fun way for children to interact with their mothers. They can play games like I Spy or read a book together. If the caretaker can establish traditions with the children to ensure they enjoy themselves, it will put less stress on the mother while she is away for business.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, families and caretakers can help working mothers who travel by making sure the goodbyes end with a smile. For younger children especially, it’s important to know that everything is okay. Even though their mother is going away, they are happy and they will see each other again. Mentioning how exciting the reunion will be can also help ease the goodbye process. Being away from family will never be enjoyable, but communicating with the children and their caretakers, and creating special routines can help make the separation easier for everyone.

By Olivia Varnson

Olivia is the Travel Bags With Annita intern. She researches material, prepares on-air information and she writes blogs for the website. Olivia attends Brenau University in Gainesville, GA.