I've never soaked driftwood from a petstore in a tub to get rid of the tannins...they're what lower the pH...you want the tannins to come out naturally over time.
I'm glad you're listening to your mom. I'm the father of an 11 year old, so I do understand where she is coming from. I've said no to my son sometimes only to change my mind when I better understand what he's asking for...then again, maybe she has used peat and driftwood in a tank in the past and had a bad experience so that may be what she is basing her decision on.
Back to earlier guidance, I wouldn't use pH altering chemicals, either. They do cause a lot of swing in water parameters. If you can't do the driftwood/peat trick, I'd look for fish that do well in harder water such as Malawian cichlids, Tanganyikan cichlids, and most central american fish such as sword tails, mollies, platys and all the central american cichlids. There are also Asian fish that do well in quite a wide spectrum of water parameters...just look for fish with a pH range of 7.5 and above that also like hard water (I'm guessing you have well water, right?).
Finally, if your local pet store has similar water to yours and the fish are doing fine, they might well be acclimated to your harder water...so it might work out fine without any need to change your water.
Eric
