Mother's Day Letter 2024: Ideas, Tips, and Examples

What do you write in a Mother’s Day letter? We’ll help you get it right with our ideas, quotes, tips, and tools for crafting the perfect note to Mom.

Ah, Mother’s Day—a day you want to celebrate your amazing mom, especially after the craziness of the past year.

But what do you get her?

Whether you’re a broke student or have a great job, odds are you find choosing a gift for Mom a challenge.

Sometimes, the most meaningful gifts cost nothing but your time and effort and mean more to her than expensive presents. So, this year, why not pour your heart and soul into writing the perfect note to your mom?

If you’re unsure about where to start, we’ve got ideas, quotes, tips, and tools to get your creative juices flowing, for writers and non-writers alike.

How to Write a Mother’s Day Letter

Whether your letter will come with another present or be a standalone gift, your goal is to make your mom feel special.

In your note for Mother’s Day, the most important thing is that it should be personal, specific, and special. And don’t forget that you have free online writing tools to help with things like articulating your heartfelt thoughts and making sure your letter is free of “cringey” errors. Check out our full list of ideas, tips, and tools below.

1. Tell her something you’ve never said aloud

It can be something funny or heartfelt, or anything else that speaks to your relationship. Remind her of a favorite memory or something you love about her. You might feel like she knows these things already, but it will be a very powerful gesture to her if you write it down.

Examples:

• Maybe she was a major source of support for you during your school years, always making herself available to listen to you work through problems or help you field ideas.
• Maybe you picked up a hobby of hers over the years, and she never knew it was because you saw her enjoy it so much.
• Maybe her words of wisdom helped you navigate a difficult situation in life.

2. Highlight your love, gratitude, and respect for her

That embarrassing story about her from your last vacation may seem funny to you, but it may not be the best choice for making her feel special on Mother’s Day.

3. Spend time articulating yourself

The way you present memories is important because your goal is honor your mom with this note. Not great at writing in general? Try using a visual writing tool like a paraphraser to build sentences that convey your love and admiration in exactly the way you want. A paraphrasing tool is also helpful for generating new ways to say something that’s coming off as cliché.

4. Include a quote

Quotes add an extra level of detail and expression to your Mother’s Day letter. After all, you’re pointing out something that makes you think of your mother, communicates a feeling about her, describes your relationship, etc. The quotes below are some great choices.

Mother’s Day Quotes:

• “To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power.” —Maya Angelou
• “I got to grow up with a mother who taught me to believe in me.” —Antonio Villaraigosa
• “Mothers are like glue. Even when you can’t see them, they’re still holding the family together.” —Susan Gale
• “Life doesn’t come with a manual, it comes with a mother.” —Unknown
• “When you look into your mother’s eyes, you know that is the purest love you can find on this earth.” —Mitch Albom
• “All that I am, or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” —Abraham Lincoln
• “It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into the doing that matters.” —Mother Teresa
• “Mothers and children are in a category all their own. There’s no bond so strong in the entire world. No love so instantaneous and forgiving.” —Gail Tsukiyama
• “He didn’t realize that love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark.” —J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
• “A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s.” —Princess Diana
• “If I have done anything in life worth attention, I feel sure that I inherited the disposition from my mother.” —Booker T. Washington

5. Decide whether to include a card.

You have options here, and the route you should take depends on your vision for your Mother’s Day letter. Store-bought cards are great, andhere’s nothing wrong with buying a card to go with your letter or writing everything inside the card, especially if you know your note will fit.

If you don’t know how long your letter will be or you know you want to write her a page or two, you might write a short note or joke in the card, then enclose the longer letter in the same envelope.

You might also make a card yourself with some craft supplies and a little elbow grease. Again, the pitfall of relying on any kind of card to hold your message is the small size of the writing area. Think through this detail beforehand—when in doubt, draft it on a blank page to get a feel for how long it will be.

Or, if you plan to write a longer heartfelt letter to your mom, all you need is paper or stationery and an envelope. There are no rules, so you can choose one or both.

6. Decide whether your letter will be handwritten or typed

Many moms really love a handwritten note, but if your handwriting is hard to read, you may want to just type it and sign the bottom. Keep in mind that a letter means less if she can’t understand what it says.

If you have bad handwriting but don’t want to type it, draft the letter on a blank sheet of paper. When you’ve edited it to your heart’s delight, you can hunker down and slowly write it out as neatly as possible. Your handwriting is unique to you, so moms love to see it and it will add an extra level of love and care—especially if she knows how hard you had to work to write legibly!

This is not to say a typed letter can’t be heartfelt. If you do type your letter, you can add quotes, pictures, memes, drawings, and other details a lot more easily. Typed notes are also easier to grammar check and often look neater. Why not go a step further and use an online tool to make special stationery for your typed letter, too? The possibilities are endless!

7. Include a printed picture

Speaking of adding pictures, when was the last time you printed one for yourself or someone else? Ordering a print or two online and including it in your letter is another winning touch.

8. Don’t worry too much about the length

How long should a Mother’s Day letter be? As long as your letter is loving and heartfelt, there is no need to aim for a word count. Write as much or as little as you want to convey your message to Mom in a meaningful way.

9. In a Mother’s Day letter from husband to wife or to a partner, show affection

She’s a mom now, but she’s a person and your partner first. Show appreciation for the work she does as a mom and describe what you love about her interactions with your kids, but go beyond that.

• Tell her she’s beautiful.
• Talk about the character traits that make her a good mom but were also great before she was a mom.
• Tell her that what she’s doing matters, and how.
• Tell her what you’ll do to match her efforts.
• Offer her a day to do anything she wants on her own—no childcare.

10. Proofread your letter.

Drafting your letter first, especially if you’re going the handwritten route, is a great idea. But even if you’re going with your first pass, please read it over for mistakes—especially for grammar and punctuation. Errors can make your writing unclear, and the last thing you want is for your message of love to be misunderstood or not understood at all.

Not sure about needing a comma here or there? Wondering whether you’re misusing a word? Use a free online grammar checker to answer these kinds of questions, even if you’re not planning to type your letter. You can use it to review single words, phrases, or sentences without having to type your entire note.

Here are a couple of tips for avoiding common errors:

• Capitalize the holiday and remember the apostrophe. Holiday names are proper nouns, so they’re always capitalized. The apostrophe shows this is a day belonging to Mother.

Wrong: Mothers day
Right: Mother’s Day

• Capitalize Mom, Mother, Mommy, etc. when you use them like a name, but lowercase them the rest of the time. If you’re doing it right, you’ll be able to substitute her name in places where Mom is capitalized. Here are some examples:

You want her to know you spent time and energy on your note, so double-check that you’ve written it well.

Mother’s Day letter examples

Once you’ve chosen which of the above features you’d like to include in your letter to Mom, the next step is to put them together in a way that makes sense. Here are a couple of examples you might find inspiring.

Mother’s Day letter from daughter

Mom,

With every year that passes, I wonder even more, What would I ever do without you? Though you taught me so well to stand on my own two feet, your wisdom and support have brought me to where I am today.

You were there to hold me when I had to put up with bullies at school; you were there to cheer me on as my volleyball team made it all the way through the championship; and your voice coached me through labor last year even though you couldn’t be there.

I know your voice will always be with me, and I’m so thankful that my kids have you, too. I love you, Mom!

Mother’s Day letter from son

To my amazing mama,

I want to thank you for everything you’ve given me.

You showed me how to smile through the tough times and stay humble through the wins. You were always there for me even when I wouldn’t listen to you. You helped me reach toward my goals even if it meant you had to give things up or work more hours. And you taught me about how women see the world so my wife and I can be a better team.

Because of you, I’m strong and determined to be the best man I can be. And I’ll do everything I can to show my gratitude to you.

RECAP: What to write in a Mother’s Day letter:

• Write about heartfelt memories that will make her feel special (and not embarrassed).
• Get the holiday name right and avoid common writing errors, which might make your sweet message unclear or awkward.
• Think through important details like how your note to Mom will look and what small touches you can include to show her an extra-special effort this Mother’s Day.
• Remember that length doesn’t matter nearly as much as the amount of love you put into your message.

Other ideas for your Mother’s Day letter writing:

1. How has she helped you get through the pandemic?
2. What is your favorite memory of her?
3. What is something important she has taught you?
4. How did she shape the person you’ve become?
5. What do you love or admire about her the most?
6. How has she inspired you to push yourself, follow your dreams, persevere, etc.?
7. What is something heartfelt that you want her to know but maybe have never told her?
8. What are some plans you hope to make with her soon?
9. What makes you think of her and smile?
10. What are some things about her that make you especially grateful that she’s your mom?

Final Notes:

A personal note for Mother’s Day is the perfect gift from a son or daughter. With a little planning and attention to detail, plus a whole lot of love, you can wow your mom with your heartfelt prose. There’s no right or wrong way to do it—as long as you are honoring her and showing her your gratitude, love, and respect, you’re sure to create a great Mother’s Day letter. Happy writing!