lol in regards to your mom, i think you are right. Until someone big like google or amazon, etc jumps on making one of the coins as a alternative payment system i am afraid it don't look like it is going to become easily accessible to the general public. I would assume the big companies will be able to make this more user friendly.
I have tried, and even had people explain me through the whole process and I can never get my computer to do it just right, or I am somehow just computer incompetent and am doing something wrong even when I get it explained to me via the phone.
Yeah, I am hoping that Google or somebody makes a coin soon. I honestly have no idea why they have not done it yet, it blows my mind that the Internet Search company that probably has people using their search engine more than ANYTHING ELSE to learn about Bitcoin, and they themselves (who are paid developers) have not decided to do anything yet.
iof you have access to CBT nuggets there is a good explanation of how the whole system works. i am guessing there are other youtube videos that show how the whole process works, but again i dont think it is easily accessible for the average person. Because of this the idea of E-currency will struggle to take off the ground. check out youtube i am sure you will find good simple videos.