Mother’s Day is about more than just spoiling mom. It is a day for children to tell her just how much they love her, and a chance to say “Thank you for everything you do”. Why not help your child or grandchildren do something unusual for Mom, to show her how special she is. Here are some unconventional ways to spoil a special lady this Mother’s Day:
- Help your child write her a story or poem telling her all the ways they love her, or why they are so grateful for her.
- Children can paint mom’s portrait or help them make a collage from photos or pictures that will show her what she means to them.
- Message in a bottle: cut a piece of paper into strips and stick these together to create one long strip. Then ask your children to list or draw all the great things about Mom. Roll it up and put it into a decorative bottle. Another take on this is to get the children to write 365 messages on pieces of paper. Every day, mom can read a new message or thank-you note. You can also do this with ‘vouchers’ – take pieces of paper and write promises from the children on them such as ‘I’ll make my own bed today’, ‘we’ll wash the dishes’ or ‘I’ll help Mom cook supper’.
- Take a break: Buy her a plane ticket to an exotic destination, or to visit family overseas. You can also go away as a family for the weekend, to a nearby favourite holiday spot.
- Take a class: if Mom likes baking, painting or sewing, buy her some classes. Better yet, sign up for a mother and child class so they can spend some quality time together. For something really different, your son or daughter may enjoy doing a kickboxing or scuba diving class with their mom.
- Make a memento: help younger children make hand or foot print moulds out of plaster of Paris, or do prints in paint. You can also help children to collect heart shapes from nature or craft shops; wherever they can find them. Frame these, or put them in a special box with other keepsakes.
- Say it with pictures: collect photos that have a special meaning for the mother of the house, and create an album. Children can try their hand at scrapbooking to give the album a personal touch. Photobooks are a great alternative and allow you to have fun with the pictures and fix up older photos. You can also spoil Mom with a mother-and-child photoshoot, or make her a home video.
- Time out: take the family out for a day and do something Mom enjoys, like going on a hike, walking on the beach or seeing a play. If she enjoys picnics, fill a picnic basket with delicious goodies (maybe baked by the children), and take her to a quiet spot for lunch.
- Unusual takes on the usual suspects: instead of giving cut flowers, take the family to a nursery and let her choose plants for her garden. Instead of chocolate, get a chocolate making or baking kit. A picnic could also be a fun twist on breakfast in bed.
Tamlyn Vincent
