Yup, there’s another Mother’s Day right around the corner. After hearing this, we decided to investigate this special day and why it’s celebrated at different times all over the world. We are all on board for celebrating every Mother’s Day, because let’s face it, Mothers, Mums and Moms make the world go round.
Whether the Mother you’re celebrating is still changing diapers, taught you how to swim or she’s been juggling home schooling with office work and three meals a day, she desperately needs a break. Now is the time to give her some five star treatment and to let her know how much she’s appreciated, and we’ve got you covered.
This year we can finally be treated and taken out to celebrate, although I rather enjoyed the last few years of breakfast in bed and homemade spa treatments that were created by my kids during the pandemic! Having my name spelt out in cookies for a nice afternoon tea was definitely one of the pandemic highlights of my Mothers Day lunch.
Hey Dads and kids! Take note: Nothing says, ‘I Love You’ more than chocolate and flowers! (Mum, just forward this link to Dad for subtle or not so subtle hints for your special day.)
Why Is Mother’s Day Celebrated At Different Times Around The World?
To be honest, after extensive research we have no idea! We can only assume it was something Hallmark decided to do to increase their card sales, but seriously this subject remains an enigma!
What we do know is that in a large number of countries including Australia, Canada and in the US, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May and therefore, it’s becoming now known as ‘International Mother’s Day’. However, in many other countries it is celebrated at entirely different times of the year. Here in Thailand, Mother’s Day or “Wan Mae” falls on the Queen’s birthday or 12 August each year. In the UK and Ireland, Mother’s Day takes place on the fourth Sunday of the month of Lent (as this date is not fixed, the date for Mother’s Day changes every year, no doubt a nightmare for the less observant Dads!).
Whatever time of the year or how it is celebrated, the sentiment remains the same with kids paying a tribute and expressing gratitude to their mothers.
Just Let Her Sleep
After asking many co-workers and Mothers what they really wanted for Mother’s Day, the most simple and cost effective gift is, just let her sleep! Whether it’s an extra hour in bed or, as has been known in my house, the whole morning in bed, this is by far the most popular gift!
Home Made Treasures
Looking back over the years, some of my most precious treasures have been made with loving care from bits and pieces, sequins and stickers and hand made cards. Making a gift for Mom is something all kids love to do. All kids just want to please their parents, hence, the 100s of paintings and drawings that cover each Mom’s fridge or office whiteboard.
Get the kids busy with coloured paper, glue, sequins, pictures of Mom and let them be individually creative. From footprint cards to paper flower pots and bouquets, the options are endless. Some of the best hand made mother’s day gifts that are lovingly stored in all Moms’ treasure boxes are painted with fingers or made from plastic pots and pieces of pasta.
Another great home made gift idea could be to set up a home spa for Mom giving her pink sparkly toes and a nice head massage while burning her beloved candle.
Take Over The Kitchen
Another great gift for Mum is to take over the kitchen. You could surprise her with breakfast in bed made up of special treats or arrange a special lunch or dinner and get the whole family involved. A nice idea is for younger kids to plan the menus with older kids, helping create a special Menu card that Mum can keep.
Try setting the table with candles and flower petals and even if it’s just her favourite take away pizza, there are so many ways you can help to make this day special. One of my best memories was coming home from walking the dog to find paper hearts leading into the family room and a cup of my favourite coffee and a heart shaped sandwich waiting for me – perfect!
Always Consider Chocolate!
What’s not to like about chocolate? It just ticks so many boxes, it tastes good, it smells good and makes us feel good even 1 bite in! If you want to keep Mum in a good mood all day, what better gift than promoting her feel-good neurotransmitters with a box of chocolates!
For something more home made, the older and more creative kids could consider making their own chocolate brownies or chocolate protein balls made up of Mum’s favourite dried fruits and nuts all bound together with dark chocolate. Little kids can help make and decorate cup cakes or heart shaped pancakes, naturally with a little chocolate on the side!
Another option is to let the kids do chores all week and reward them with small amounts of money to put towards paying for their own chocolate gift for Mum. Kids love to be helpful around the house (pre-teen that is!) and this allows them to take a little responsibility for how much they earn versus how much they can spend. It’s also a good life lesson to show kids that how hard they work and how much effort they put in, equates to how many pennies they collect!
Never Forget Flowers
There is nothing better, at any time of year, or basically ever than getting a surprise bouquet of flowers delivered to your doorstep. From fabulous flower bouquets to beautiful potted orchids or just order loose flowers and let the kids make them into cute little posies. As any good florist knows, nothing says I love you more than flowers – well, maybe chocolate, too.
Dads, see below for some online florists for your chance to score some major brownie points!
