© Getty ImagesThere's nothing cookie-cutter about being a mum in 2021. We spoke to five different mothers about what makes the day memorable for them.
There's nothing cookie-cutter about being a mum in 2021 - we spoke to five different mothers about what makes the day memorable for them.
When you're the mum of small kids .
During the infants and primary school years, there's often a Mother's Day gift stall that allows children to delightedly choose a present without dad's involvement. Admittedly, the gift itself might be a lucky dip, but there's something so heartwarming about the joy they get out of taking charge of the shopping.
"I don't expect anything more from my sons on Mother's Day, as it's the gesture more than the value of the gift that matters to me," Melanie explained. "The boys and their dad also make me breakfast in bed every year, with salmon as the star ingredient because they know how much I love it. They don't like, which makes it even more meaningful. In the early years, their dad was the master chef because they were too little, but last Mother's Day my eldest son made breakfast for me and I was so touched by the effort he put into making sure everything was perfectly cooked and presented."
When you're a mum of teenagers .
It's a special time when your children become teenagers and become more independent and thoughtful with their gestures on Mother's Day.
Lisa recalls being her local shopping centre a few weeks before Mother's Day with her 16-year-old son when she lingered for a moment in front of the Pandora window. Her son noticed, went home and asked his older sister to go shopping with him to choose a Pandora necklace for their mum. Each child contributed some of their pocket money to the gift, with their dad helping them purchase matching earrings.
"I love Pandora jewellery because it's affordable and my daughter knew my taste well enough to choose something that I'd like," Lisa recalls. "I was so thrilled with the gifts and I've worn them almost every day since then."
© Provided by Are Media Pty Ltd When you're a single mum .
Being a single mum can often mean there isn't someone driving the gifting agenda or helping to pay for one. Kids who are co-parented can sometimes find it awkward to talk to their dad about money for a gift for his ex-partner.
Alison said she decided after her divorce to make sure the kids knew that a gift wasn't important to her on Mother's Day - she'd prefer a handmade card with a special message in it.
"It means that all they need is some paper, pencils and creativity," she explained. "And those cards have become some of my most treasured memories. They write the sweetest things, thanking me for always being there for them and supporting everything they do. Sometimes it can feel like you're always failing as a single mum, when you try to juggle work and parenting and taking care of the house, so to get those messages means a lot to me."
When you're a step mum ...
Mother's Day can be a difficult one for step mums. But it's important that kids understand it's OK to celebrate all female carers, whether they are mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, guardians and carers.
Kim said her teenage son has found a special way to make the day memorable for his step mother, whose own mum passed away from cancer about 10 years ago.
"They run in the Mother's Day Classic together every year with his dad and half-brother," she said. "Pre-COVID-19 it was their yearly tradition and they're planning to do it again on May 9. We all get along really well, so my husband and I joined them a few years ago. Afterwards, everyone came over to our place for bacon and egg rolls afterwards. It was one of my most memorable Mother's Days."
When you've lost your mum .
Mother's Day can be bittersweet when your own mum is no longer around. Emily lost her mother earlier this year and she's facing her first Mother's Day without her.
Emily and her siblings have decided to celebrate their mum by booking a table at her favourite restaurant and raising a glass in her honour.
"Perhaps that will become our new Mother's Day tradition," Emily said. "There will be tears, but also laughter as we remember all the happy times we spent at the restaurant together."
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