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Celebrate your mom

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 Scott Dunlop
Scott Dunlop

Hello, warrior parents,

We don’t call them “secrets”, We call them “surprises”. Those little things we do in our family to make our lives more fun. Mother’s Day, birthdays and any other day which may include gifts or someone being spoiled. My kids are quite expert at dropping hints about just how they think these days should go down. I say hints, but I mean wildly creative suggestions.

They’re awful economists.

“What are we going to do today, Dad?” is their war cry. “Anything you like, as long as it’s free” is my retort. That leaves them squinting at me, their frowns lacking comprehension. There’s usually a period of protracted negotiation before we finally think up something that suits all of us and, even if it’s not free, won’t cripple us financially. Free-ish.

I’d love to be idealistic and say that if you’re the sort of family that celebrates Mother’s Day, you can find some way of doing it that’s free from expense, but surprises often have a cost to them. Do you give your children a budget to work off, or do you just point them in the direction of the sweets at the supermarket and tell them to slip something into the trolley which they can then give to you later?

Judging by the way my friends react to the gifts they receive on Mother’s Day/Father’s Day or birthdays, they don’t generally gush about the most expensive ones (probably because they paid for them!) from their kids, but hold those home-made ones the closest to their hearts. The hand-made cards that find a new home on the fridge (or even get framed) seem to be favourites.

After all, for some of us, those cards are the only visual reminder we have of our children expressing their love.

Let your children mess up the carpet with glitter and burn the bacon- it’s their way of telling you they love you- this Mother’s Day.

I have a jar on my desk which used to contain sweets.  It was their gift to me three years ago, and I smile every single time I see it. Imagine- a gift of three years’ worth of smiles!

It’s lovely to share the love, so remember this with your own moms if they’re around this weekend.

Dads, remember to “forget something urgent” so that you can slip away with your kids this week.

Above all, have loads of fun celebrating the moms in your lives this week, even if you are the mom who has to buy a gift and wrap it for herself!

You have already given the world a gift that keeps on giving.

Have a wonderful week and Mother’s Day!

Tell us how you'll be spending Mother's Day this year at chatback@parent24.com.

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