Every mom is a super mom. And not just on Mother’s Day, but every day.

In the spirit of the special holiday on Sunday, May 12, the San Diego Community Newspaper Group asked a couple of local moms whose kids attend Pacific Beach schools to talk about the joys – and challenges – of being a successful mom in 2024.

Melinda Jensen and her family live in Bay Ho. Her four kids, two of them adopted from China, attend PB public schools. She works full-time from home and is also a regular volunteer at Pacific Beach Middle and Barnard Elementary, a Mandarin magnet school in the San Diego Unified School District.

Asked if it is tough to be a modern mom juggling marriage, work, and family, Jensen pointed out you need to play a lot of roles. “There are things about being a mom that don’t change, like being a cheerleader for your kids and being their support system,” said Jensen, whose marketing baby product brands make lives easier for moms. “In 2024, it (being a mom) is a balancing act. There are so many expectations. Every day I drive my kids to violin lessons or soccer practices. It’s go, go, go until you fall asleep at night.”

Concerning advice for future moms, Jensen counseled women not to listen to those advocating standardized forms of parenting. “With four kids and as a new parent, I didn’t visualize that I would have to relate to each one individually,” she said. “They’re all such different people and they learn differently. I love having these unique individuals in our home. But it’s also challenging because none of them wants to do the same thing. We have one child on a robotics team, and another taking violin and art classes, one on two different soccer teams, and another who is a big drama nerd.”

And forget about things going according to schedule as a modern mom, because they have to go with the flow. “Before I had kids, I was a scheduled person planning things far in advance,” noted Jensen. “Being a mom, I had to let that go. We have to learn to be more spontaneous. You can’t plan for what you can’t plan. You have to adapt, and not stress when things fall apart.”

Audrey Ho, whose kids attend Mission Bay High, Pacific Beach Middle, and Barnard Elementary schools, concurred with a lot of Jensen’s takes on modern momdom.

“It’s hectic, fast-paced, demanding, and you always need to be ‘on,’” she counseled about the parenting role. She added, “I need to keep my cool between teenagers and kindergarteners. I have to keep up with the opposite schedules of high school, middle school, and elementary school. Time management and lots of planning are important, but hard to maintain. Cooking dinner is also something I wish I could do more. But I just don’t have the time and energy for it.”

Added Ho: “I’m a stay-at-home mom. I have three kids in three schools, so there’s no time for much else. Thankfully, next year, there will be two schools, and we’ll be moving closer to our schools. Hoping for more time to breathe, maybe volunteer or work if possible.”

How will Jensen, and Ho, celebrate Mother’s Day?

“We keep it pretty casual,” answered Jensen. “On Mother’s Day, mom doesn’t cook or clean. I stay in bed and pretend to sleep when I hear them crashing around in the kitchen making me breakfast. When they come in with the tray – I act surprised. This year, we’ve got a soccer tournament. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“We are going to Disneyland,” said Ho adding, “I will also be visiting my mom.”

ORIGIN OF MOTHER’S DAY

Mother’s Day honoring mothers is celebrated worldwide. In its modern form, the holiday originated in the United States, where it is observed on the second Sunday in May. Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, whose mother had organized women’s groups to promote friendship and health, originated Mother’s Day. On May 12, 1907, she held a memorial service at her late mother’s church in West Virginia. Within five years virtually every state was observing the day, and in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday.

Although Jarvis had promoted the wearing of a white carnation as a tribute to one’s mother, the custom developed of wearing a red or pink carnation to represent a living mother or a white carnation for a mother who was deceased. Over time the day was expanded to include others, such as grandmothers and aunts, who played mothering roles. What had originally been primarily a day of honor became associated with the sending of cards and the giving of gifts. Ironically, in protest against its commercialization, Jarvis spent the last years of her life trying to abolish the holiday she had brought into being.

MOTHER’S DAY SPECIALS

bahía de la misión

Mother’s Day brunches are happening at all three restaurants of Evans Hotels – Dockside 1953: bahiahotel.com/mothers-day-brunch; Oceana Coastal Kitchen: catamaranresort.com/mothers-day-brunch; A.R. Valentien: Mother’s Day Brunch, Sunday, May 12, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. $135 per person/$65 children (under 12). For more information, visit EvansHotels.com.

SeaWorld

Celebrate Mom’s special day with an exclusive Dine with Orcas experience. Enjoy a special menu including an omelet station, carving stations, delicious side dishes, sweet treats, and a complimentary group family photo. There are openings on Mother’s Day weekend (May 11 and May 12). For more information, visit seaworld.com.

La Jolla Playhouse

Give your Mom a gift that lasts all year: a special Design-Your-Own Subscription to La Jolla Playhouse – save 20% on regular prices with this limited-time offer for Mother’s Day. Mix and match three or more shows that will delight your Mom and the dates that suit her best for a series of memorable nights out at some of the hottest shows of the year. For more information, visit lajollaplayhouse.org.

Wildlife Moms

Every year, San Diego Humane Society’s Project Wildlife program sees many well-intended, but unnecessary, rescues of wild animals brought through their doors. The organization is calling on the public to watch and wait before intervening, to ensure the animals really need to be brought in for rehabilitation. Most wild species are raised by only one parent who must temporarily leave their offspring to search for food. Watch and wait: The absence of a parent does not mean the baby has been abandoned. Wild parents are devoted to the care of their young and rarely abandon them. Contact and drop off location information for Project Wildlife at sdhumane.org.

valle de la misión

To celebrate Mother’s Day, Mission Valley Shopping Center, (mission-valley.com), invites guests to create a unique bouquet during a workshop hosted by Blostma Floristry, a florist located in the AMC Theatres Court. Blostma will also have several Mother’s Day specials. Throughout the event, which takes place on May 11 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., guests can also stop by the Milkissimo booth to get a free scoop of ice cream. And all weekend long, visitors can take a free keepsake photo at the center’s Mother’s Day selfie spot in the AMC Theatres Court. Inflatable World will offer discounts to anyone who shows a receipt for any purchase at the center during the entire Mother’s Day weekend. And on Mother’s Day (May 12) only, Yard House will hand out free carnations and a gift card good for the recipient’s next visit. While the Build-Your-Own Bouquet workshop event on May 11 is free of charge and open to the public, workshop space and supplies are limited and pre-registration is required: https://bit.ly/4d32s2k. To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/4aA7x0D.