Mother's Day Gifts

Only a mother…could deserve such a beautiful Mother’s Day gift

Only a mother could know just how hard work it is; others can only guess. From the early days when her nights are broken through her baby’s cries to forgetting to eat or go to the loo because a tiny person comes first.

Then the hard work begins once the bundle of fun can move around.  Days become like an SAS manoeuvre as she has to have eyes in the back of her head.  After removing the tenth marble from her baby’s mouth that day, she flops into bed exhausted, only to be up again because baby is scared of the dark.

Fast forward a few years and she proudly watches her son or daughter go to school which brings its own obstacles.  The guilt gene kicks in – “Am I stimulating them enough?”, “Do I spend enough quality time with them?”; “Are they getting enough rest?”; “Are they mixing with the right friends?” – then a mother turns into a slave in her own house.  Chief cook, bottle-washer, laundry maid, cleaner, taxi driver, servant…without even a thank you.  As they get older her children stat to rebel against her – and her nurturing actions are met with hostility or sarcasm.

This may sound extreme but it’s perfectly normal - though it does make one wonder why anyone becomes a mother in the first place.  But there are plenty of moments that make the whole journey worth it.  And one of those is Mother’s Day.

When your child proudly bring home from school their picture of a daffodil that they’ve been working on all week - with “I LUV YOO” written on the front, your heart melts (unless they’re fifteen, but we won’t go there).

Of course, as you get older, you’ve got past the stage of home-made gifts, though I’m sure anything you did make or craft would go down well with your mother; she’d be the one who’d be able to see how much trouble and effort you’d gone to.  With our busy lives it’s thankfully easy to buy something that can show her how much you appreciate all she’s done as well as make her day.

A popular choice is a huge bunch of flowers.  Because Mother’s Day falls in spring, daffodils and crocuses are common flowers to give in pretty baskets or tubs.  Although a lovely gift to give, flowers are short-lived because of their shelf-life.  A longer-lasting and thoughtful gift would be to frame a picture of you both and give it to her.  Unlike birthdays, Mother’s Day is more about the appreciation for what she has done for you.  Any gift that shows the level of thought is bound to be a winner and the more sentimental the better.

A personalised gift is a good choice.  One that has a message she will look at and smile at any day of the year.  A silver-plated compact with the words “Thank you for everything Mum, I love you” will make her heart glow each time she takes it out to powder her nose.

Or a bottle of champagne with a similar message on the label – after she’s drunk the champagne you’ll find her steaming the label off the bottle over a kettle to keep forever!  You could also treat her to something as simple as ‘your time’ and book a spa weekend together, or just organise a day for you both to go shopping.  These are things she will appreciate more than just another box of chocolates from the corner shop. 

Your mother has done so much for you throughout your life that it seems a small price to pay to track down the perfect Mother’s Day gift.  The added benefit is that she will get to see you as you take it over – something that lessens a little once you’ve grown up and begun your own life.

Trinket boxes, photo albums, perfume – all beautiful gifts that can be personalised with that vital message of thanks – to the woman who made you who you are today. 

Happy Mother’s Day to all those deserving women!