Come on all you mothers out there… come shoot me down in flames for I am about to cross the floor and speak out against the secret club of Motherhood.
You see… I don’t believe in Mothers Day.
Don’t get me wrong…. I am happy for everyone else to celebrate Mother’s Day and I’ll support your right to enjoy breakfast in bed and lovely presents till the cows come home. I’m just not into it for myself.
I’m not sure how it happened… I don’t remember making a big song and dance about it as a kid. Sure there were the pre-requisite mother’s day stall at school where I dutifully and undoubtedly, enthusiastically handed over my fifty cents in return for mothers day gifts. I am sure I also bestowed upon my lovely, hard-working and wonderful mother a plethora of crafty gifts as well… pinch pots and clay ducks come immediately to mind. Apart from the kitschy kid gifts, I don’t remember doing anything else special or the actual day itself being that important.
I do remember my mother telling us ‘every day should be mother’s day’… with a slightly sarcastic tone….
So I guess it is hereditary… Surely traditions are passed on via your family and clearly this one was not passed on to me. I can’t say I am very disapointed to miss out.
I know I’ll be the recipient of my fair share of kid presents. I know I’ll be forking over my two dollar coins so the kids can go off to school to purchase something I don’t want, don’t like, but feel strangely proud to receive. I’m sure I’ll be as happy about that as I was to get last years card from Zoe that proclaimed my favourite food was ‘everything’. I’m sure I’ll embrace and love all of that kid stuff as much as any mother…. but the rest of it?
The over priced flowers. The shop bought presents that I’d have to buy myself in order to get anything half decent – I do love the Baldy Boy but a Bunnings Voucher is not usually what I have in mind as a great gift, nor is a mermaid Barbie which is what the girls would buy me – with the best of intentions I might add. The breakfast in bed – the thought of cold toast and crumbs in my bed kinda freaks me out actually. The sleep in – well I am actually blessed with a husband and family who let me sleep in every once in a while regardless of what day it is. None of that, and especially the fuss… none of that appeals to me at all really.
I’ll stand up for every other mother’s right to be spoilt and celebrated on this one special day, I’ll even join in with your celebrations if invited….. just don’t make a fuss over me ok.
I’m cool with it… I’m not sad or bitter, or disapointed, or missing out on something. I love my kids. I know they love me, they tell me so several times a day. I’ll enjoy the special moments, and the kitschy gifts whenever they come… but I don’t need a special day for it.
To be fair… we also don’t celebrate Father’s Day.
I wrapped presents whilst I read this. I think you are perfectly entitled to not celebrate in the commercial way we are told we should. We skip all that too. My Mum’s birthday is this week.. sometimes even on mothers day. I always make a big fuss about the TWO occasions for her. This year its Sunday and Monday. I usually do something with the boys on Saturday – a day of rest and time together (not so much presents etc). My sister baricades herself in bed and eats chocolate and wont allow anyone near her. One day of blissful peace apparently. We all enjoy it in our own way.
We don’t celebrate in a big way at my place either (and as far as I can remember neither did my mum) – and the same goes for Father’s Day. We just like to acknowledge the day and say Happy Mother’s Day, remember to call our mums and so on.
Hallmark day???
Yuck – no thanks!!!!!
We don’t celebrate it either… We do have chocolate cake for breakfast on fathers day though. And last year fathers day fell on the anniversary of Daddy Kewl’s death. Beat that, hallmark!! lol
I probably shouldn’t-I’ve had 3 mothers day’s & the car has died just before 2 of them. Meaning I’ve recieved a fuel pump & a muffler as gifts cause we’ve been broke. Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something……
This is my third mothers day and I have to say so far…um yeah. My first mothers day Erin was still in hospital so, even though DH had made a really lovely breakfast I managed to scoff it down, shower and dress in under 10 minutes. My second one we were broke so that went by on a fairly light note. This one we’re even broker – I like to call it ‘so broke we can’t even afford to breathe’ so I’m expecting not a lot – though I did buy the goodies for eggs benedict.
I’m a foot in each camp. We don’t Valentines for example, recognising it for the commercial crap that it is…and as for Mothers/Fathers day, well I’ll take the homemade card but I certainly don’t want/expect a gift…a sleep in would be nice, but only if the baby is happy with that, and I tend to agree with your mum, that EVERY day should be mothers day! Celebrating your mother with pointless gifts once a year doesn’t mean you get to take her for granted the other 364 days ok!!
My poor little girl last night said (with the most pathetic whimper you have ever heard) “sorry I am too sick to give you a proper Mother’s Day” – I explained to her that it was all part of being a Mum and Mother’s Day was every day.
Well, I’ve never had the full on breakfast in bed bit. In fact, Dave hasn’t really come to the party with Mother’s for me, so much. That is, until this year… This year I’m getting a pretty from each of my school boys (a potted flower from each of them – better grow a green thumb, rofl)… And apparently, Dave is actually buying me a present of something I actually WANT – as opposed to just alcohol (which I don’t necessarily not want, but is something that take no thought at all)…
I don’t know, I’m kind of cool with it. I feel like my menfolk do need to acknowledge me a bit these days…
Love your post! Laughed out loud with the cold toast and crumbs in bed! Love the thought of Mother’s Day though. I actually love the ‘thought’ the kids put into their gifts. When growing up I remember every Mother’s Day bringing up the same conversation – why isn’t there a kids day?, with the same answer year in and year out….. every day is kids day! Bah Humbug to that! :-)
I am with you Kate .. we do things the same way! I must admit though, my children actually choose very well from the Mothers Day stall and generally get me something I quite like, purple candles and the like, this year Tom bought me the cutest little pink earrings, although from Will (his first Mothers day stall) I got an egg cup and two egg rings .. LOL~!
Yes, I get it. Not into mindless consumerism here… but I’d never say no to a bunch of flowers or a box of choccies on ANY day.
I’d love you to read a post I did last year: http://www.seanasmith.com/good-enough-mother-happy-mothers-day/
I’m planning to re-fresh it and re-post it on my new blog on Sunday, for all the Grumpy Mothers out there!