In the rush of today’s lives, it is considered that only youth are facing emotional and mental challenges to balance things in life, but our Mothers, who have always stood by us, are facing emotional hardships as time passes.

Mostly, we complain to our parents because of the generation gap and all, that they cannot understand our things, but the fact is that we are the ones who need to understand them.

With time, life is changing for her as well, just like ours – the fear, regret, continuity, left out.

Think, has your mother ever said these things to you -she is not feeling well, or she feels lonely or any other of her “Maan ki Baat”?

Reconnecting with ageing mom isn’t just sentimental – it is essential for emotional well-being and grounding in an emotionally disconnected world.

A survey in 2025 by Habuild involving over 30,000 Indian mothers revealed some data, such as – 

33% of mothers felt “Valued and Seen”, and 67% said they would use wellness supportive workplace policies if available.

The further survey stated 28% reported feeling “Unseen and Tired”, 57% said they could not openly share emotions with family during distress, 35% cited mental exhaustion as a daily challenge and struggled with constant to-do lists. 

These data reflect their emotional struggle and the need for empathetic support, not merely symbolic gestures. 

What can you do to help and support your ageing mom? – Here, some ways that might be helpful before it’s too late:

The Questions We Forget to Ask Our Mothers

If it were someone else, then listening without questioning might work. But with our Mothers, it’s different – She won’t ever share her feelings unless we ask, or even then, she might still say nothing happened.

In the evening, just sit with your mom over a tea as always in your routine and gently ask about her life. What made her happy once? What was her aim in life? What would she still love to do? How were your college days Maa? And childhood memories.

She will open up in ways that might surprise you. And you’ll hear stories you never knew, even after all these years.

You know your mother better than anyone else. But it is rare when we ask or discuss these things with her. So, keep aside social media and engage in real life with your mom.

Unseen Loneliness

Everyone rushes out chasing goals and hustle, and the one who is left behind alone is Mother. It’s not that she is sad being left alone in the home, but if she feels alone in the presence of everyone, that is loneliness – unseen, unspoken, unexpressed.

Dr. Reema Nadig, COO of Lifebridge Group, said that what hurts most is not physical distance, but it is the emotional disconnect. Ageing mothers miss the feeling of being essential, of having a role in the lives they once built and nurtured.

And when this emotional stress becomes a physical problem, it tires the body and soul.

In India, there is a saying that when a person becomes aged, they act like a child. Over time, we need to remember and understand it. When our mothers age, what they need is not help but more presence, patience, and a purposeful life.

Share little joys without rushing, encourage her hobby, if she has a dream that could not be fulfilled, now might be the time to do it.

“Age doesn’t close the door; it’s us. Open the door and let her shine!”

Do more than Gratitude

Celebrate her birthday, cook for her whatever you can – your cooked food is enough to make Mom happy, an outing with her, eating with her, etc.

Many of us move away for work, and studies—and in that distance, the thread to home stretches thin. But sometimes, that thread is right there in her hand, in the form of a smartphone. Didn’t your mother say to teach me how to use a cell phone?

She is quietly hoping you will sit beside her and teach her- how to unlock the screen, scroll through the phone, send messages on WhatsApp, and make a video call.

Not because she needs to ‘keep up with the times’ – because it’s her way of reaching you when she misses you and does not know how to do a video call with you.

Because each tap she learns is her finding a new way to stay connected, even from miles away.

Mothers do not feel sad for their children’s absence; they know their children are studying or making a career for a better future. But they miss the feeling of being important in their life.

Reimagining Support by Community

Indian society was once rooted in the joint family system, where family members lived, laughed, and leaned on each other.

But modern times led to the nuclear family because of demands for jobs, education, and mobility, often living across cities or even continents.

Because of this mother is navigating emotional labour in isolation, the built-in support has quietly eroded.

But this does not mean that love has faded in the family. Things have been changing with time, and so do the ways-

In the reimagined support by communities may revive the connection of ageing mothers.

• Micro-Communities such as neighbourhood circles, apartment WhatsApp groups
• Skill-Sharing circles where mothers can teach and learn from each other – cooking to digital literacy. A mother can revive the dream through it.
• Listening Lounges, inspired by community therapy models, are informal gatherings where mothers can speak their hearts out.
• The Social Senior Club offers meetings with new people, connections, and joy. This is more than the senior club – they provide the environment where mothers rebuild a connection to themselves. Some of the famous clubs are ‘Evergreen Club’, ‘The Silver Club’, and ‘The Silver Surfers Club’.  

These are small and insightful acts that remind: You do not have to do it alone!

Just a small Effort

Reconnecting with your ageing mother is not about grand gestures. It is about presence.

As we are living far from each other, we still care, and sometimes it needs to be shown.

You can do a video call, take community club help, but you know what – your presence truly matters. If possible, make a routine once a month, or even a few times a year, for a homecoming.
For an ageing mother, their son and daughter are a lifeline, not the luxury stuff surrounding.

“Love does not always need words – it just needs you to show up and surprise them.”