Mother's Day 2012

There isn’t a job in the world like being a mum. The hours are long, the demands often unrealistic and the pay terrible. There is no induction period, no opportunity for advancement and the performance reviews are daily (if not hourly & undertaken by your worst critic - yourself) But, the rewards are endless. And it’s the rewards that drive mothers to work hard in order to achieve a balance between their duties at home, and those outside of it. It’s those rewards that get women through long days at the office, followed by hours of work at home. It often leaves them feeling guilty, undervalued and exhausted.

That’s why we love Mothers’ Day. It’s often the one day of the year when mum gets a sleep in, a cup of tea in bed and a little TLC. The one day of the year that mum gets a little pat on the back and some acknowledgement that she’s doing a great job.

Now, we live in a consumerist society, and it’s often tempting throw money at fancy gifts and a card filled with soppy sentiment. But we can do better than that, so here’s our top 5 tips for making Mothers’ Day special.

1. Handmade

Whether the kids are 3 or 23, nothing says love like a home-made Mothers’ Day card. A simple hand crafted card (Adobe Creative Suite assisted is ok too) with the words ‘thanks mum’ says more than any Hallmark card ever could.

2. Quiet

If there’s one thing that kids are really good at it’s making noise! I know many mums whose daily soundtrack includes hearing ‘muuuummmm’ several hundred times, along with other favourites such as ‘stop it’, ‘he did X’, ‘she did Y’, ‘No’, ‘why’ and so on. Add this to the nauseating repetition of children’s television programs and the gentle hum of the washing machine/dryer/dishwasher - it really is enough to make the most stable woman quite mad. So do mum a big favour on Mothers’ Day and turn the volume down, I know that the mute button might not be an option, but believe me, mum will appreciate a little peace and quiet.

3. No Cooking

The only thing in a mothers’ life more reliable that noise, is the daily battle in the kitchen.  Deciding what to cook, the process of cooking and then cleaning the kitchen is nothing more than a chore. No matter how much your mum enjoys cooking, years of ‘I don’t like that’ or ‘what’s that’ is sure to wear thin. So cook mum breakfast, take her out for lunch and/or dinner and give her the day off.
NOTE: And yes, this does include a break from scraping the pancakes off the ceiling after failed attempts at tossing them in the air.

4. A little thought

A little thought goes a long way. It’s not always about the grand gestures and expensive treats. Just take some time to notice the little things that mum might need, you know, the things that would make her life a little easier or more comfortable and run with that. Don’t get sucked into slippers and dressing gowns (or kitchen appliances) just because they appear in a catalogue. It’s the little things that will make the biggest difference and bring the biggest smile to mum’s face.

5. All about mum

Most importantly, just make the day about mum. Every other day of the year she puts her family’s needs ahead of her own, (in ways you might not even notice). So for one day of the year (& feel free to do it more often) spoil her, you know she deserves it.

Enjoy Mothers’ Day and feel free to leave a message for your mum on our Facebook page - we’d love to see them.