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It’s that time of year again when the shops are full of chocolates and teddy bears. Forget the gifts, though, the main point of Mother’s Day, as every mother knows, is to give you a day off. So how can you make the most of it? Workingmums.co.uk has some tips.
It’s that time of year again when the shops are full of chocolates and teddy bears. Forget the gifts, though, the main point of Mother’s Day, as every mother knows, is to give you a day off. So how can you make the most of it? We have some tips:
1. Although the promise of Mother’s Day is a lie-in, promise and reality are rarely the same thing as any parent knows. Indeed, if you go on too much about Mother’s Day beforehand the chances are your kids will get very excited and wake up extra early. It’s a fine line to tread between not talking about it and risking them not doing anything or overtalking about it and risking being woken up at 4am with a full English breakfast. Bear this in mind.
2. Give hints beforehand about the kind of things you envisage for Mother’s Day, eg, not having to do any housework. Make it clear that this means that they have to do it and it is not an excuse for you to have to do double the work the next day [or the day before].
3. This includes doing their homework. If you are the one who normally does it with them encourage your partner to experience the delights of fractions. Try and present it as some sort of nostalgia-fest. Maybe put on a Jam CD in the background. Avoid We don’t need no education by Pink Floyd.
4. Breakfast in bed – while this is a good idea in theory, it can often descend into chaos and require several hours of cleaning up afterwards. Prepare the ground well in advance. Drop massive hints about what you want for breakfast and ensure it is not crumbly, flaky or sticky. It might be safest to stick to sliced bread and water.
5. Have a pyjama theme for the day. That way you don’t have to help anyone get dressed and there are fewer clothes to wash during the week so the Mother’s Day effect is extended.
6. Plan on a long soak in the bath. Ensure that it is clear that this is a solitary exercise or you could end up being divebombed by ducks and assorted plastic things or risk being subjected to some form of massage therapy [possibly with a duck].
7. Use Mother’s Day as an excuse to take control of the tv remote. Wave goodbye to Masterchef repeats and Hannah Montana. Now is your chance to find out what has been going on in the world in the last few yea
8. It’s also your chance to dictate the menu. This is your partner’s chance to put those Masterchef repeats to good use and produce something fabulous which everyone is obliged to eat if they don’t want Mother’s Day to go on for at least another week.
9. Do not under any circumstances clean or feed pets on Mother’s Day. Tell the pets it is your day off. Record their squeaks, miaows, etc the week beforehand and put them on surround sound all through the house to remind people that they need feeding. Also, blow up photos of them looking very sweet and hungry and place on all of your children’s bedroom doors.
10. If Mother’s Day goes to plan, try to introduce the concept of a regular day off a week. Worth a try…