For many of us, our mothers are more than just a caregiver. They are our role models, best friends, biggest cheerleaders, and most trusted confidants. They are influential in our early years on how we see the world and teach us our earliest lessons. Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate the female figures in your life, whether that be mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, or people who have stepped into a parental role in your life. It is an opportunity to give back and to show that the energy these women put into our lives does not go unnoticed and unappreciated.
If You Need Inspiration This Mother’s Day, Take a Look at How We’re Planning on Celebrating our Mother’s
We have spoken with our employees about how they plan to celebrate the female figures in their lives this Mother’s Day:
“Buy loads of gifts and flowers and spend the day with my mum.”
“All the women in the family will gather around my mother’s house; there will be four generations.”
“Normally I celebrate Mother’s Day by taking my mum out for lunch along with buying her flowers, a card, and a small gift.”
“I plan on going out for a meal with my mum and nan. I will also get my mum some Canadian dollars for her holiday to Canada this summer.”
“My brother and I buy our mother her favourite flowers and chocolates. We then in the evening will go for a family meal with our nan.”
Prioritising spending the day with loved ones seems to be the most important for people celebrating Mother’s Day. Carving time out of busy working and social schedules to spend time with family seems all the more critical in a post-lockdown society when we were forced apart.
We Show Small Tokens of Appreciation Through Flowers, Chocolates, and Cards
Similarly to holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Christmas, Mother’s Day is often centred around gift giving. We show small tokens of appreciation through bouquets of favourite flowers, chocolates, or gifts that make you think of them. This trend of gift buying can also provide businesses with a busier trading week which is much needed in the current economy where consumers are favouring saving over spending. When asking our staff what gift they will be buying, if any, this Mother’s Day, it appears we are a company of traditionalists. Alongside the staple card, many of our staff said they would buy their mothers, grandmothers, and partners flowers. If you haven’t yet cemented your gift this Mother’s Day, perhaps consider visiting a local florist in your community for a beautiful bouquet. Other gift suggestions from our staff are gift cards, chocolate, and jewellery.
A Tidy House, Lie-In, and Quality Time may be the Ultimate Gift this Mother’s Day
It seems an impossible task to encapsulate a lifetime of appreciation and love for our mother’s into one day. It sometimes feels as if there is no gesture big enough to thank our mothers for everything they do. Speaking with some of the mothers at UTP, it seems the little things will indeed mean the most this Mother’s Day. We asked our staff how they would like to be celebrated this Mother’s Day:
“To be honest, I would just like a lie in! That will not happen as I will be presented with breakfast in bed at some ungodly hour”.
“I am fully expecting breakfast in bed and a tidy house.”
“By spending the day with my son and daughter, and a meal out or cooked by one of them.”
“I enjoy spending time with my children.”
For those of us still panicking about how to give our mother’s the perfect day on the 19th, it may be simpler than we think. Take on the responsibility of cooking a Sunday lunch, or give your mum some time back by completing some household tasks. I think it’s safe to say we all love a lie in. Maybe the greatest gift you can give this Mother’s Day is a few more hours of well-deserved rest. For many parents we spoke to, it seems a gesture and quality time with children is how they would like to celebrate. A bonus is that for the cash-strapped among us, tidying the house and lie-ins are both free luxuries!
Why is Mother’s Day a Different Date in Other Countries?
Mother’s Day is not a universal date. Countries like the USA, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia celebrate in May. Consequently, those geographically separated from their mothers may postpone celebrations until then. In the UK, we celebrate Mother’s Day on the fourth Sunday of lent each year. Consequently, there is no set date for the occasion which unfortunately leads to some individuals forgetting the date and having to do a quick dash to the supermarkets on the day. Mothering Sunday has distanced itself from the tradition of using the event to visit the church of their baptism, their ‘mothering church’. Now the holiday has morphed into celebrating our mothers and treating them with gifts and meals out.
Being a parent is full-time work, and thanks to the UK’s extortionate childcare costs, many mothers cannot return to work. In our article ‘The UK Awarded Bronze for Childcare Costs’, we explored the barriers to parents, and women specifically, returning to work. Many women are forced into waiting to qualify for government-subsidised childcare before they can return to work. Consequently, their careers are put on hold, and the gender pension gap remains to the detriment of women. Mothers are pillars of our society. They are quite literally giving the country the next generation of workers. Yet, it is increasingly difficult for them to return to work.
At UTP, we find this unacceptable. That is why our Business Development Manager role was created to work around existing schedules. This position allows individuals to work around school pickups and half terms. A role perfect for parents that want to earn money and need it to work around their children.
