There are plenty of ways to celebrate Mother’s Day without even leaving the house, even if your family is spread across the country. Here’s how some families are celebrating.
Don’t panic if you’ve left Mother’s Day preparations to the last minute there are plenty of ways to celebrate without leaving the house, even if your family is spread across the country.
While the rolling back of coronavirus restrictions will come too late in most states for Mother’s Day this Sunday, some families have come up with creative ways to celebrate.
Robyn Adams lives with her husband in Brisbane; her mum, dad and sister are in Melbourne and her brother is in Perth.
They haven’t been together for Mother’s Day in five years.
“There’s a lot of stuff that mums do and I don’t think they get any credit for it and it’s probably one of the toughest jobs in the world,” Robyn said.
“In our house Mum was working and then she came home and had another full-time job so it’s nice to do something special and acknowledge when you can.”
She saw a local art studio offering online paint pouring classes and ordered a kit for everyone in her family.
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Robyn Adams organised art packs to be sent to everyone in her family for Mother’s Day.(Supplied)
They will all do the class, produced by the Montana Art Project, via video conference this Sunday.
“They put silicon in the paint so it bubbles up, then you light it on fire and it brings all the colours up,” Robyn said.
“Mum is a super arty-crafty person so it is perfectly up her alley and we will all be able to see each other doing it.”
Make a homemade hamper
A home-cooked family meal is one popular way to celebrate Mother’s Day.
Chantal Adams lives in Ferntree Gully in Victoria and usually takes turns with her two sisters to cook Mother’s Day breakfast.
They wanted to find a way to carry on the tradition, despite the social distancing restrictions.
A handmade hamper put together by Chantal Adams for her mother Jeannette.(Supplied)
“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for our family while in isolation,” Chantal said.
“Just before Easter we lost my Grandma [Mum’s mum] which was heartbreaking, especially not being able to go give my mum a hug when she really needed it.
“My older sister had her second baby nearly two weeks ago. Being unable to go visit her and her new baby sucks too.
“However, video chats and phone calls have made it all that much better than it could be.”
This year, she made a hamper to drop off filled with breakfast burritos, orange juice, fresh scones with jam and cream and a bunch of flowers.
“We wanted to do something special to let both Mum and Dad know we are always thinking of them and that we would be there for breakfast if we could,” she said.
Try a video message or conference call
Dorothy Elliott received a video message from four generations of her family across WA.(Supplied)
Dorothy Elliott, 82, received an early Mother’s Day surprise from four generations of her family after they all recorded video messages for her to watch at her retirement village in WA.
“It was just such a wonderful surprise, I had no idea it was going to happen,” she said.
“I have four children and they are all out in the Wheatbelt region and can’t come in to see me and I can’t go out to see them.”
She said usually for her, Mother’s Day is the best day of the year, when everyone comes home for a good meal.
“It is just wonderful, you catch up with all the grandkids, I’ve got six great-grandchildren and three of them I haven’t seen for ages,” she said.
Dorothy has coped well with isolation but is looking forward to heading out to the regions and seeing her family as soon as possible.
“I was a farmer’s wife for 50 odd years and you’re stuck out on a farm on your own all day until the children came home from school, so isolation is quite easy,” she said.
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Make mum a handmade present
Cheryl Westbury has been in home isolation since the beginning of March. She wanted to do something positive for other people within her local community in Adelaide.
Cheryl, Hamish and Amethyst Westbury.(Supplied)
She has two teenage children who are unable to shop for anything this year.
“I have compromised health and coming up to Mother’s Day, I know a lot of my friends, their kids can’t go shopping this year either,” she said.
“I thought it would be nice if they get a little pressie for Mother’s Day from someone.”
Some ideas to spoil your mum:
- Drop off a homemade hamper of goodies
- Home day spa/pamper pack
- Join a video art or cooking class
- Take a tour of a virtual gallery
- Stream a movie (don’t forget snacks)
- Virtual picnic at home
- Send champagne or wine
- Create a slide show of memories
She has been knitting bright beanies and bought some chocolates, which she has packed in little bags to drop to friends who might have otherwise missed out on a present this year.
After dropping her gifts off, she will spend Sunday preparing lunch for her mother.
“Most of my friends are pretty disappointed, obviously, that it’s not going to be the normal Mother’s Day, but we all feel it’s better to be safe at home and get control of the virus, rather than race around and be silly,” she said.
“I think it’s a day to spend with your family, a time where mum gets to be treated nicely and have people do things for her for a change.
“But it’s also about grandkids seeing grandparents and spending time with each other, and feeling loved.”
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