With Mother’s Day around the corner, you have the chance to create something special for you and the mothers you know - including your own! The lockdown and COVID-19 pandemic have been a very stressful time for everyone, so finding time to celebrate Mother’s Day together may be just the change you need. As a mother-to-be or a new mum, it is also time to celebrate yourself and this wonderful journey you are on and not lose sight of the good things in your life.
Remember, you don’t really need an excuse to celebrate the mothers of the world, so you can always try these ideas for celebrating Mother’s Day all year round! They’re created keeping in mind COVID-19 restrictions, so you can use them any time you want to do something special for your mother - a birthday, anniversary, or even a festival.
Why Celebrating Is Important for Your Health Too!
If you’re considering ignoring celebrations during the pandemic, that’s understandable. But here are some reasons why you may want to reconsider:
- A pandemic and the kind of uncertainty everyone is dealing with right now have resulted in greater worry, stress, fear, and other negative emotions, according to the WHO. This is compounded by added pressure to home-school children, manage temporary unemployment, or even work long hours from home, all while limiting external face-to-face contact with friends, colleagues, and family.
- The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recommends doing things you enjoy to distract yourself from these worries.
- The elderly could use a friendly voice or moral support at this time.
- Children at home might miss their social support system of friends and teachers at school, playtime in the playground, and a general sense of structure to their life. By celebrating occasions like you did before COVID-19, you could bring some of this ‘normalcy’ back to their lives and help their mental health as well.
- Social interactions are important especially for those living alone or in self-isolation.
- It is recommended to focus on positive thoughts and what could be better than celebrating mothers in your community, friends circle, and family?
- Most importantly, as an expectant mum-to-be or a new mother, doing something for other people will help you feel better too!
Ideas For Mother’s Day And Year-Round Celebrations For Mums and Mums-to-be
We hope you’re lining up a way to celebrate your mother, grandmothers, or other wonderful women you know. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Gifts of Wellness:
Mums in red zones may not be able to get delivery of non-essentials for a while, but think out of the box! Could you send them a gift of their favourite pampering products like creams, lotions, and perfumes? Or perhaps some aroma oils and a vaporiser from the chemist?
Foodie Care Packages:
Food has come into focus as we all try and build our immunity to battle the contagion. As an essential item, food can be delivered everywhere right now.
- Identify a good vendor and have some delicious baked products, fresh fruit, and maybe their favourite honey, jams, chocolate, and other foods delivered.
- You could even theme a special meal and send them all the ingredients to cook their favourite foods. You could email them a recipe card online with step-by-step instructions on making it.
- If cooking isn’t an option and they’re ordering in food, pre-order a special meal from a fancy restaurant that you know is compliant with COVID-19 guidelines for food handling.
Post-Lockdown Gift Vouchers:
Many businesses have now pivoted to offer gift vouchers or prepaid experiences that can be used post-lockdown. You could send them a shopping voucher from their favourite brand - it will give them something to look forward to.
EBooks, Digital Magazines and Apps:
With a lot of life spent on gadgets these days, a gift of a magazine subscription, a set of new eBooks, or some paid apps (even moms enjoy games on the tablet!) that they might like could be a fun gift to give.
A Celebratory Video Call:
If you and your siblings can dial in and do a joint call with your mother, it will make her day! Go a little further and do this for other elderly aunts too - have everyone join one big fun family call. If everyone is enthusiastic, you could even plan a themed video call with everyone dressing up in a certain style like ‘vintage royalty’ or ‘back to the 70s’.
Make A Movie Celebrating Your Mother:
Create a video message or script a fun movie featuring incidents from your childhood and life with your mother. Get your other family members involved - they can shoot on the phone and email or message you their clips. Use a simple video editing software to stitch it together with some nice music and surprise your mother with it on Mother’s Day.
Take Her To A Restaurant (At Home!):
If you’re lucky enough to live with your parents, plan a special meal for your parents. Set up one room at home like a restaurant, bring out the best glassware and crockery, make beautiful menus, have a simple but fun drinks menu, play some nice music, and ask them to dress up. Offer them the kind of service you’d get at a fine dining restaurant, taking their orders for each course. It'll be an evening to remember!
An e-Baby Shower:
Don’t forget to celebrate your own journey of motherhood with your close friends and family on a call as well! If your due date is around the corner, put together an online baby shower. Rope in a close friend or family member to organise games like baby-themed Pictionary, Charades, and even some fun ones like “Guess Whose Baby Pic This Is”. It could make for a roaring evening of fun! Your friends might like to pre book baby essentials for you online too and have them home delivered. Let yourself be pampered!
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