Mother’s day is this Sunday, May 10! At UW Parent & Family Programs, we define family in the broadest sense, and that includes the people who do the work of mothering whether or not the title fits neatly. This post is for two readers: the moms, aunts, grandmas, and maternal figures who keep our Huskies going, and the families thinking about how to mark the day with finals week looming.
To the moms, aunts, grandmas, and maternal figures reading this
Some of you are the parent who picks up the phone at 11:14 pm. Some of you are aunts, grandmothers, stepmothers, foster mothers, godmothers, older sisters who became more than sisters, chosen-family parents, guardians, mothers-in-law-in-spirit. Some of you stepped into the role because your family needed someone to.
What you give a college student is specific. Energy when your Husky is running low. Strength when they’re doubting themselves. Resilience passed down: sometimes deliberately, sometimes by example. And humor, which is doing more work than people realize during finals week.
We see you. Thank you.
Talk With Your Husky: three prompts for Sunday
Sunday’s Mother’s Day, but your Husky might not text first. They’re in the middle of finals prep, battery is low, they forget. If you’d like them to reach out (to you, to a grandmother, to an aunt who’s been a steady presence), here are three texts you can send them. Pick the one that fits your family.
If you’d love a call from your Husky on Sunday and want to make it easy for them to do it:
“Hey, Mother’s Day is Sunday. No pressure to make it a big deal, but I’d love a quick call or text. Whenever fits your study schedule. Love you.”
If there’s a maternal figure in your family who often gets skipped on Sunday (a grandmother, an aunt, a stepmother, a chosen-family parent) and you’d like your Husky to reach out:
“Sunday’s Mother’s Day. [Grandma / Auntie / Mama-Lisa] would love a quick text from you, even just a few words. She talks about you all the time.”
If Mother’s Day is hard in your family (grief, estrangement, complicated history):
“Hey. Sunday’s a heavy day for our family. Just wanted to say I love you and I’m here. No need to do anything with that, just wanted you to have it.”
Copy, tweak, send. The version that lands isn’t the one with the perfect words. It’s the one that arrives.
A note to families with a Husky who’s also a mom
If your student is themselves a parent (a mom finishing her degree, a stepmom in her grad program, a grandmother going back for the credential she always wanted), Sunday is hers, too. We see her, and we see the family supporting her so she can keep going.
Dawg Dates: what’s coming up
Spring 2026
- Sunday, May 10: Mother’s Day.
- Monday, May 25: Memorial Day. Campus closed; classes resume May 26.
- Thursday, June 4: Fuel for Finals. The Division of Student Life will be at Red Square with smiles and snacks to encourage our Huskies. Additional locations announced as FFF gets closer.
- Friday, June 5: Last day of spring quarter instruction.
- June 6–12: Finals Week.
- June 9–14: Residence hall move-out. Our Move-In & Move-Out Resources page has what families need to know.
- Saturday, June 13: Spring Commencement at Husky Stadium. Doors at 12:30 p.m., ceremony at 1:30 p.m. The UW Commencement page has tickets, parking, and ceremony details.
A note from PFP
If your relationship to mothering, your own or someone else’s, is complicated this year, you’re in good company. The UW family is wide enough for that.
For questions, support, or just to say hi: uwparent@uw.edu reaches us directly.