How do you celebrate your mum’s special day? If you are a mother, do you celebrate yourself? How? Why should you celebrate yourself? What are the ways to make mothers day this year EXTRA SPECIAL?
Here are several easy and original ideas to help you give thanks to the woman who grew you and gave you life and how you can celebrate yourself?
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What Mother’s Day Means to Me
Mother’s day is such a special day. I will struggle a little bit this year as I am far from my mother who I love dearly. But I will be celebrating myself and celebrating with my kids.
As a mum, I don’t always get it right. I am continually learning and being a mum it isn’t still easy. It is rarely easy. I like to look back at the achievements, the growth, the challenges, and revel in the day.
It is a day to kick back and relax or spend time being present with your kids. Whatever you chose to do, make sure it is right for you.
My mothers days have been forever evolving. I have been a daughter, a mother of 1, mother of 2, step mum, broke mum, homeless mum, working mum, stay at home mum, and every year Mothers Day looks different. But the meaning behind it is still the same for me.
My dad was funny, and I used to ask him what he would like to do for father’s day. He would scoff and tell me that ‘like his birthday, it was just another day.’ But I wanted to show him I cared so that I would think of something thoughtful designed just for him.
My mum was the opposite. She always wanted time with us and a day without stress. So my sister and I would collaborate and give her gifts that came from the heart or provide an opportunity for her to relax, a meal cooked by us, a crafted or creative gift, something that we knew she wanted. Even as we became adults and mothers ourselves, we would still get on the phone or facebook messenger and plan something special or a beautiful little gift for her.
Why Should You Celebrate Yourself?
Why not? You are amazing; you are a powerhouse. You grew a human! I used to celebrate with a drink if I managed to get through all of my laundry (funny laughing face), so why wouldn’t you mark something as unique as being a mom.
Now mums, many of us have a habit of feeling guilty if we even think about considering ourselves, let alone doing it.
Let’s look at it this way.
- You have a full-time job, and you work around the clock. I don’t know any other job in the world that is as important and demanding as motherhood.
- You have one of the dirtiest jobs in the world. No other occupation deals with poo, wee, vomit and the emotional spikes that we do as moms. We do it out of love, and we do it for free.
- Mothers are some of the most committed people I know. My partner once told me that he is so in awe of the level of stamina that mums have for their kids. You can’t just pull a sickie and go and hide in the toilet.
- You are continually evolving as a mum. Not only are you nurturing little people, you need to nurture yourself, so commit some time to do so – without guilt.
- I bet you struggle to find time for self-care, mother’s day is as good a day as any to do something for you.
Is It Okay to Take Mother’s Day Off?
Yes.
There is no judgment here. If you need a day or a few hours to yourself, then go ahead and do that.
When I was living in Tennant Creek, there was a non-formal community agreement that the Mum’s would head to the local hotel and have a day off after spending the morning bonding with their kids. Remember, Mother’s day is a guilt-free day. If you need some time off, take time off!
My Personal Tips for Mother’s Day
Remind People
Let your kids or partner know that mother’s day is coming up. Some partners are terrible at remembering and life gets in the way. Avoid disappointments by letting them know.
I am personally not fussed about gifts, but my preferred languages of love are Quality Time and Acts of Service.
Previously my girls’ father has taken the time to get up early and make me the most fantastic breakfast with all of my favorite foods before having to go away for work for several days. On another occasion, he ran out last minute to get a quick gift and delivered it with a card addressed from my baby (clearly not her writing), telling me that she (my baby forgot) Laughing face.
If you would like to feel appreciated, play on the safe side and remind your family.
If you want something specific, let your partner or kids know.
I am never one for giving hints, and most people are not mind-readers. There is nothing wrong with making them have an idea of what you would like to do or what you would like.
Why not take the Languages of Love Test and give it to your partner, or your kids if they are a bit older. They can then plan to do something for you that considers your language of love and is meaningful to you.
Or, play it safe and tell them what you want. Laughing Face.
Consider if thoughts and memories are more precious than expensive gifts:
For me, I swoon when my children draw me a picture, or try and make me beautiful, heartfelt dinner with a disgusting concoction of whatever they find in the kitchen.
It is not the case for everyone, but mother’s day doesn’t have to be stressful or hard for anyone.
Consider Others Give Options
I know that this contradicts the ‘be specific tip,’ but it considers the individual.
Some people find it hard to settle on a gift or an idea. If you are unsure yourself or haven’t identified something specific that you like, it is okay to give options.
There are many budget-friendly and kind-hearted options outlined below. If you are asking your partner or children to do something for you, this helps them to pick something that they are comfortable with, will find fun and represents their personality and interests.
As an example, if you have a child or partner who is socially shy or introverted, it may be quite stressful to ask them to perform a public performance of gratitude through song and dance. They may like to do something more subtle and personal. A boisterous and extroverted child or partner may get very excited about creating a satire representation of their love for you as a Facebook live on mothers day.
What About for Mothers Who Have Lost a Child?
Mother’s day is not always a happy occasion for all mothers. If you are estranged or have lost a child, it might seem like a day that rips at emotions. I have not lost a child myself, and I do not feel qualified to comment as a result, so instead, I asked some extraordinary ladies who have angel babies to share with us What is mothers day to them and what they do on this day.
“I use this day as a day to remember. I don’t want to forget. I get out photos; I cry, I laugh, I feel happiness and joy all in the one day. I will never heal, but I will always remember.”
My friend Lisa is the Angel Mother. She lost her daughter Jess in a Car accident at the age of 19. She is an extraordinary woman and is now helping other families to form connections and move forward after experiencing such a precious loss.
Lisa wrote, “Jess never did mothers day for me, she said Why should you get a special day when kids don’t get one” (From what Lisa tells me, Jess had a great sense of humor and loved a joke). “If she did do anything it would be a card that said ‘I owe you a mothers day gift.’ Mother’s day is just another day to me now as it is hard to see all the mothers with their kids. I like to do something special for other mums”.
Celebrate on Social Media
Shout to the world what you are doing, give homage to yourself, your children, and other mums.
Can you believe there is a day dedicated to Naked Gardening (which I subscribe to)! No joke, on this day people from all walks of life, ages, and nationalities get their gear off and tend to their herb gardens. Some people go as far as to take sneaky little bottom shots while watering the grass, or skillfully hide their jiggly (or not so jiggly bits) behind potted flowers or cascading leaves and take a photo to share with others across the world on social media.
In all seriousness, this movement has been created to “discourage body shaming and encourage acceptance of all forms of the human body.” So why not take heed and celebrate the success that comes with being a mum. Share your journey as a mum, what you are doing on this day and let other mums that they are doing a good job.
Let Another Mum Know She is Doing a Good Job
We don’t reach out to other mums enough to let them know they are a superstar and are doing an excellent job at being mum. There are many mums out there struggling and need to hear this. Some mums are okay, some mums are great, but sharing why they are doing a good job and why we respect them can make their day so much better.
When we do beautiful things for others, our brain rewards us with hormones that make us feel good and improve our health. So why not give back to you and improve your happiness by saying something beautiful to another mum.
Ask Your Kids / Partner to Write You a Letter, Poem, or Song
Now and then it is nice to hear about why we are appreciated and what we are doing right. It is a tough job being a mum at times, and we can feel like we are failing. Life can get the better of us, business and chores can get the better of us, and we forget to find joy in moments and overlook that we are loved and valuable to our family.
Write Yourself a Letter, Poem, or Song
You can make this as funny, emotional, heartwarming or heart wrenching as you like. It is an opportunity to create something for you and your children that you can treasure for many, many years.
You can use this to:
- Reflect on the good times
- Recognize your strength and ability to overcome challenges
- Give thanks to yourself or your kids
- Laugh at the funny moments
- Offload some bent up emotions
- Celebrate motherhood
It is a lovely idea to do this every year. You will create a record of memories, trials, and tribulations for you and your family to treasure and pass onto generations if they wish.
Write a Letter, Poem or Song to Your Children
If your children are younger, you may like to write them a letter that you can give to them at a significant milestone. If you have a distant teenager, it might help you to reconnect again. There are so many reasons to and why to write letters to your children.
You can share your hopes and reasons for their future, express your love and why you are proud of them and helps you to strengthen your relationship.
If you are struggling to find a place to start, check out Letters to Kids: 8 Words a Child Needs to Hear or inspiration and guidance.
Once again this can act as a precious keepsake for your family.
Side Note:
I know, I know. I have put a lot of writing options in here, but there are a few big reasons for that.
- Sometimes we don’t stop to get our thoughts, feelings, and love for our children, and our selves out of our head and onto paper. Hearing it from you and others helps our levels of happiness, self-esteem and internalize the good things about us (which I don’t think mums do enough of)
- We don’t hear/say it enough. There is no shame in sharing the love and appreciation you have for yourself and others. Many of us don’t do it enough. It is an excellent opportunity to get into the habit.
- Sometimes it is too late. After talking to Lisa and Stacey, brought home memories of people telling me that they wish they just had of said “I love you,” and told others why they loved them.
- It gives us and reminds us that we have meaning in our lives and are valuable for others
- It helps to open lines of communication, connects us as a family and supports the formation of bonds.
Have Your Kids Design Something for You and Have It Made
My four year old loves anything creative. She is into designing bags at the moment. She will then take her designs to the tailor and have them made. I have asked her to create a bag for me, and we will get it made (I probably won’t have it by mothers day), but it is something special from her that no one else has. And she gets to enjoy doing it.
You may like to get one of your children’s character drawings turned into a plush toy, or get a white t-shirt and some fabric paint and let them go wild. Maybe you are happy to walk around in a dress with your children’s faces printed on the front, or your child has designed the perfect dress or outfit that represents you.
Let Your Kids Give You a Makeover
If you want to treat and spoil yourself to some new clothes, or a facial, why not let your kids be involved. It is a fun bonding experience for everyone.
You can take them to the shops and try on the outfit suggestions that they bring, or let them give you a facial or do your makeup.
Another fun and the budget-friendly idea that is fun for the whole family is to get them to dress you in what they think is your perfect outfit using things you can find at home. Toilet paper clubbing outfits is always a cracker, or garbage bag work attire may be more your style.
Let Your Kids Wait On You / Entertain You
If you have kids that are a little bit older, why not let them be your service providers or entertainment for the night? It allows you to spend some particular time bonding together and they can enjoy themselves why doing something special for you.
They might like to create a lovely dinner setting for you, plan and prepare a meal and serve it to you throughout an evening.
If your kids have some creative flair, why not let them organize a concert for you and sing you a song or do a little act. It is also great for little people and gives you a fantastic opportunity for photos and videos.
Write and Record Your Own Parody
It can be an enjoyable activity, and you can get your kids involved. This activity leaves you with something super special that you can look back on and share with your kids for years to come. All you have to do is:
- Find a song that you like.
- We write the words to relate to your kids or motherhood.
- Get the family together to record it in front of a camera.
- Use everyday moments as you are recording (e.g., changing nappies, spew on your shirt).
This is something that is totally reflective of you and your family. My personal favourite is the Moms Version of “Blank Space”, by Taylor Swift.
Bring Old Memories Into Now
Why not recreate baby or childhood photos of your children. I know several people have done this before, so I am going to give you an original idea.
I couldn’t go past this because I think it is so unique and then you add the laughs that you can have from it – why not do it?
You can always get family or baby photos of your children and recreate them now that they are older, but if you want something more original, why not get them to recreate pictures from your baby years or youth or photos from generations previous to you!
If you want to know about the hilarity and magic you can create with this idea, check out these two hilarious brothers who recreations of their childhood photos are nothing short of sensational.
So What Will I Be Doing On Mother’s Day?
My daughters and I have had a fantastic year of growth and adventure. It has been full of trials and tribulations. I am going to use this day to reflect on that and be with my children. No work, no articles (this will be hard for me because I loooove writing for you all soooo much).
Of course, I will share the odd shot on my social media account. I am a mumma who is crazy proud of her kids and doesn’t mind sharing the funny side of motherhood with my friends.
And I will not be avoiding the odd wine either (okay, maybe a quite vodka or two… I was never a wine drinker, but as I am getting older I don’t mind the odd glass, however, I am finding that it makes me a flushed).
I will be letting my mum bod hang out, in all it’s glory down at the beach (my place of soul revival and rejuvenation) and letting my kids decide what they want to eat because I want to be free of that decision for a day.
I am proud of the decisions I have made and the challenges we have overcome to be where we are on our fantastic adventure. It has taken hard work to get here.
As for my partner and what he is planning for me? I can’t tell you, and I have said to him that I want my hair done because I am beginning to look like a two-tone ragdoll. He is very romantic and thoughtful, and it is all kept as a big secret. I am not overly fussy, so he doesn’t have much chance of failing.
It will be another day of making memories, of reflection and self-validation.
Be sure to share your mothers day experiences, gifts and ideas with us at Facebook or Instagram!
