If you’ve raised your children and they’re adults now, you appreciate what a sacrifice mothers and fathers make to care for their children and raise them up to be nice people. If you're a young mom in the middle of the supreme challenge of raising your babies to be responsible yet have fun, be kind, but not be doormats, behave, but develop good self-esteem, and the list could go on-and-on,  read on.

Surprise Recognition

To you "seasoned" moms, here’s something you can do that'll make you happy and make the day of a young parent. Prepare Thank You Notes ahead of time (Dollar Tree has $4.95 Hallmark Thank You Notes for $1) by putting this message into the card along with an amount of money you can afford. I usually put a $5 bill in with the notes, but when my get organized books are selling especially well (like this time of year) I punch up my generosity to $20s Here’s the note to a mom:

Hi Sweet Mother,

Thank you for being a good mom. This note was prepared before I saw you and your child (children) today. I never know when a wonderful mother will show up, but I’m always ready and she always does!

This is just a little something to let you know you are appreciated and respected, even though the world doesn’t always let you know that. You are creating an atmosphere of love, peace, joy beauty and order in your home. You are raising responsible citizens of the United States of America. You have such power and because of the excellent work you’re doing it’s reflected in your happy child (children).

This isn’t much money, but it’s yours to spend on you. Be selfish and thank you again for your blessed work as a mother.

Continue to have a wonderful life!

Whenever I go out, I’m on the lookout for good moms and dads (I have a “Dad” note ready too, because there are more dads taking on this responsibility than ever before).

Hi Dad,

Thank you for being a good father. This note was prepared before I saw you and your child (children) today. I never know when a wonderful parent will show up, but I’m always ready and one always does!

This is just a little something to let you know you are appreciated and respected, even though the world doesn’t always let you know how important your job as a father is.

You are creating an atmosphere of love, peace, joy beauty and order in your home. You are raising responsible citizens of the United States of America. You have such power and because of the excellent work you’re doing it’s reflected in your happy child (children).

This isn’t much money, but it’s yours to spend on you. Be selfish and thank you again for your blessed work as a father.

Continue to have a wonderful life!

You can tell by looking at the children and how they relate to the parent and each other if the parent is a good one. It’s so much fun to actually have an intention to surprise and acknowledge a good mom or dad. I find them virtually everywhere; at the park, at restaurants, in grocery stores and department stores. They can show up at the bank, the tire store waiting to get tires rotated, the doctor’s office, church and a hundred other places parents have their kids in tow. With notes in my purse, I feel like I'm loaded with appreciation to spread in my community.

Be ready! Have at least three envelopes in your purse and have fun passing them out and disappearing as fast as you can. If we’re at a restaurant and we see a family being kind to each other, using good manners and such, we wait until we’re ready to leave and give it to the waitress to give the Thank You Note. I try to stay anonymous, just because I want the positive attention on the mom or dad and it's more fun that way.

I sort of want them to think something a young person would never think, but we old moms would: "Who was that masked man?" Young moms, just click on this Youtube link and you'll see what I'm talking about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9-o-YDcq6I 

Have fun with this, knowing you’ll have a profound, positive effect on that mom or dad. You would never forget receiving anonymous acknowledgement like that, so get out there and be The Lone Stranger.

Hi Ho Silver! Away!

P.S. If you want to give a note to a parent at your church and you want to remain anonymous, just give it and say: "Some woman gave me this and asked me to give it to you."