This Mothering Sunday, more mothers than ever will be forced to spend the day apart from their loved ones as family members choose to stay away to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
According to a new report, 53 per cent of Brits make the effort to visit their mum on Mother’s Day in an average year. But with the government advising people to stay away from older family members who are particularly vulnerable to the potentially deadly virus, this number will be dramatically lower this year.
With more than one in ten adults in the UK living at least 100 miles away from their mother, the advice against ‘all but essential’ travel makes celebrating the day with your mum even more problematic.
The survey of 1,000 UK adults by gift card company One4all found that most people won’t let the day pass without marking the occasion at all. More than one in four (26 per cent) will send a card while a further 28 per cent are sending a gift.
But this Sunday, with many mothers likely to feel especially isolated, it’s worth putting in some extra effort. Here’s six suggestions for make your mum feel loved from a distance:
1. Send a gift to let her know you are thinking of her
Just because you’re not there in person, doesn’t mean you can’t give your mother a gift. The Royal Mail states that it is still safe to send parcels, in accordance with advice given by Public Health England. If you’ve left it too late to catch the post, you could send an online gift card for her favourite shop.
2. Write her a letter
Put a smile on your mum’s face by sending her a letter telling her exactly what you love and admire about her and why. You could even help any grandchildren hand make a card. Mums love knowing that their children have been thinking about them, and this way she will have a keepsake, too.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK, says we need to think “creatively” about how we can stay in contact with our loved ones while we are apart.
She said: “Whatever the method, staying in touch over the coming weeks and months will be vital.”
3. Videocall her.
Video calling your mum can be a good way to show her you’re thinking of her, just ensure that the technology is in place to do this. Caroline said: “The choice of technology must be as user-friendly as possible so the simpler solutions are often the best.
“Something integrated like a video call app on a smart phone, tablet or a laptop with a built in camera, for example will often be more straightforward. Older people may also prefer physical interfaces like a mouse rather than a touch screen or track pad.”
4. Host a virtual Mother’s Day dinner party
Organise a Google Hangout or group Skype with you mum and the rest of your immediate family. Whether it’s with your siblings or your own daughters and sons too, you could agree to cook and eat mum’s favourite meal together. If she lives far away, perhaps you could enlist the help of one of your mum’s friends or neighbours to cook and deliver the same meal for her.
5. Pick out your favourite photos together to send to her, digitally.
Sending your mum pictures will remind her of all of the wonderful times you’ve had together as a family, and that you will again.
6. Watch a film together.
Set up a videocall before the movie starts to give the impression that you are sat next to each other while watching it. You’ll also be able to see and hear all of each other’s reactions to the film and discuss it afterwards.
Aoife Davey, Group Marketing Director at One4all Gift Cards, said: “It’s never been more important to make an effort to make sure mums know we care and are thinking about them – whether it’s picking up the phone, sending a thoughtful gift which can be bought online, or using technology to have a face-to-face chat.
