Thoughtful Mother's Day Ideas To Celebrate Mum During The Coronavirus Pandemic

Mother’s Day 2020 is going to be the year we all get creative. With social distancing in place, different states have imposed a limit on the number of household visitors allowed.

Non-essential stores are also closed and some restaurants are shut until further notice, meaning many of us will have to reinvent our Mother’s Day traditions.

Here are some ideas for making the day special for Mum. 

1. Create a Mum memories slideshow 

There has never been a better time to sort through the 700,000 pics in your digital archives. Celebrate Mum by putting together a slideshow video, to take her on a virtual trip down memory lane. You can integrate short recorded messages at the end from any grown-up kid who can’t be physically celebrate with Mum this year. With an app, like Smilebox or Movavi , it’s also possible to add effects and music. 

2. Recreate Mum’s favourite restaurant brunch at home

Some restaurants are still open for deliveries , so you could order the menu items your mum loves and recreate the dine-out ambiance at home, with tablecloth, flowers, music, printed menu, and the kids dressed up as servers.

High tea is almost always a winner, and some places such as Crown Conservatory in Melbourne are taking orders so you can enjoy scones, tea cakes and finger sandwiches from the comfort of your home. If a bottle of bubbly and antipasti board is more up her alley, Sydney’s Fratelli Fresh Grocer is doing grazing packs and wine-bouquet combinations. 

If the place you usually go to is closed, just do some online research and recreate the dishes. You may never want to go back to Mother’s Day restaurant outings, once you’ve discovered the joy of no line-ups.

3. Bring the spa to Mum

If there’s something all parents are craving right now, it’s time to relax and recharge. With spa visits out, why not get on board for pampering Mum at home. A warm epsom salts or bubble bath is a great way to start - you could light tealight candles and put on chill music to set the mood. 

After the soak, kids can participate in things like foot rubs or hand or scalp massages (no scented oils or fancy creams in the house? Raid the pantry for coconut oil!

Older teens and tweens can do some advance research on YouTube to learn the skills for giving a really good mani-pedi, a blow-out or a makeup session. And once the pampering’s done, serve Mum water with slices of cucumber or lemon, herbal tea or a refreshing quarantini.

4. Play customised family trivia

This is a great one to do either in person or over video chat, whatever the circumstances call for. The family quiz master should create questions that test family members’ knowledge of their matriarch. For example: What was mum’s first job as a teenager? What is the one vegetable Mum won’t eat? Where did mum meet her BFF?

It’s a fun way to draw on family lore and show your mother some serious love and appreciation. To ramp up the bonding, draw on some of the funnier material from family life, like your mother’s quirky pet hates, strange snacking habits and cheesy mumisms. 

5. Have a movie marathon 

Since cinemas are closed, why not binge some family favourite films or TV shows from the comfort of your own home. Netflix is streaming some fun ones like Gilmore Girls and Grace & Frankie, while Foxtel will be airing Mamma Mia! and Jennifer Aniston’s Mother’s Day on Foxtel Movies Romance. 

6. Send some flowers 

A fresh bunch of beautiful blooms is bound to cheer up Mum’s day, whether it’s plucked straight from the garden by the kids, or specially delivered for adults who can’t visit their mother.

This year Woolworths has launched contactless floral deliveries through Uber , Sherpa and Yello on select bouquets across 400 Woolworths stores, with 700 supermarkets also offering pick up on orders.

“Flowers are always a popular gift during Mother’s Day, outdoing Valentine’s Day by more than 55%,” said Woolworths Managing Director, Claire Peters.

“This year there is a great range of Australian-grown flowers widely available across our stores, with oriential lilies, gerberas, and tulips the pick of the bunch.”

Some tips about safety around sending flowers during the COVID-19 pandemic can be found here . 

7.  Go for a neighbourhood tour with a twist

We’re allowed out for fresh air still, and a family walk is a great way to lift everyone’s spirits. You can take it up an extra notch for Mum, by getting outside beforehand to chalk sweet messages and pictures on the route, to let her know how awesome and loved she is.

Rainbows are very much in vogue right now and guaranteed to bring cheer. Hearts, flowers, personalised notes of love and gratitude, in-jokes and mum portraits all make for fun tributes too.

8. Say ‘I love you’

This is a good one to do as often as possible right now. Many mums are feeling a lot of big feelings this year, dealing with extra-stressful work situations, looking out for their loved ones’ well-being and living with uncertainty.

Some mums are going through this time without being able to see their children in person, because their kids live in another household. Other mums are taking care of sick family members or even grieving loved ones lost this year. If “I love you” isn’t a comfortable or natural thing for you to say to your mother, find the words that work: “I’m so grateful for you,” “I appreciate you,” or “I miss you so much,” are great alternatives.

 Happy Mother’s Day, however you choose to celebrate it this year!