Why there is a Mother’s Day… or a Father’s Day for that matter… when there is no Son’s Day or Daughter’s Day?  It’s a fair question that must rise in the minds of most children young enough to still have the habit of looking at things with a fresh and logical mind and try to make some sense of it.

When your children look at the way those around them deal with Mother’s Day, and the advertising on television, what lessons will they learn?  Will they learn…

1. People should buy pink and frilly cards for Mother’s Day with soppy messages inside.
2. People should buy stuff for your mothers on Mother’s Day.  Flowers, frills, chocolates, kitchen gadgets, stuff, stuff, stuff…
3. People have to act as though they’re all a happy family even though they were fighting last night, or they were complaining about their own mothers…

or will you try to show them that…

1. Children can make a card that suits her interests and theirs. See here and here.
2. The rest of the family can spoil her a little, make breakfast, a cup of tea, etc if they want. No extra spending required.
3. You can use the occasion to talk about mothers – about different generations and different family structures.  Tell some family stories, pull out photos or other keepsakes.
4. You can buy appropriate gifts but only if it gives you both pleasure, and it is within your budget.

Children learn all the time – more from example than from what adults try to teach them. They also learn about social expectations from the advertising that surrounds them and from watching what adults do.

What lessons are your children going to learn this Mother’s Day?