Mothers' Day: gift etiquette

duchy

I always get a bit peed off with people who moan about Mother's Day as my Mum isn't around anymore and the day always reminds me of what I've lost.

That said if I saw something my Mum would have loved in a charity shop I bought it for her (didn't need to be Mother's day) same goes for normal shops - It's about the gift not where you buy it-although if all your gifts come from charity shops you're probably either a very canny shopper with lots of time to trawl the charity shops ......or bit over frugal

I'd rather give/get no gift at all than some bit of tat with no thought given to it at all - It really is the thought that counts .

GlasweJen

I've bought a share in a chiminea thing that she wanted for the garden - advantage of having 5 kids is they can chip in and buy something wanted.

Pound shop? Never had to buy from one due to having 5 X contributions and it means the skirt sibling doesn't present a "lesser" gift as we haven't done the generic chocolates and flowers since our oldest sister left high school some 20 years ago

lazer

Elsewhere wrote: »

It's an American import, like Coca Cola and the modern Halloween and was brought over by US soldiers in WW2

" UK-based merchants saw the commercial opportunity in the holiday and relentlessly promoted it in the UK; by the 1950s, it was celebrated across all the UK."

My mother didn't believe in it and I never encouraged my children to either.

Halloween is Irish/Celtic, probably brought to America by the Irish and then the Americans brought the modernized version to the UK.


Mothers Day (or Mothering Sunday as it as actually called) is also a religiouse tradition, falls mid way through lent. Mothers day in America is actually in May.

ripplyuk

I wouldn't dare buy my mum something from a charity shop. She'd sulk. It drives me crazy and it's the same on birthdays, Christmas etc. She neither wants nor needs anything as if she does want something, she doesn't wait for an occasion to get it. Despite this, my siblings and I all know we must arrive with an expensive bouquet of flowers, expensive perfume, fancy chocolates etc, etc. Even then, she moans "Oh, another bunch of flowers", "More chocolates", "I've too much perfume already". You can't please her.

I know she checks up on the prices of what we buy her. It's also irrelevant to her if these gifts put us into debt.

Kaye1

This year, I couldn't think of anything I wanted.

So last week, we went to the local pottery painting place. My eldest painted a little pot for my change (I wanted something like that) and my toddler painted me a cat.

We had a brilliant time together- my youngest painted a cat beautifully then decided to give it a red collar- so it then looked like it had been murdered. We giggled our heads off at my dead cat(!!!) so I am looking forward to having a reminder of the fun we had.

We had a 10% discount, so it all came in at £20. I think we will 'do' something each year from now on, rather than just buying for the sake of it.

redpete

ringo_24601 wrote: »

Depends how much you value your Mum doesn't it?

No, not in the slightest. Do you hand over the receipt with the present in case she thinks you bought it at a discount store?

I don't think I've ever bought my mum a present for Mothering Sunday, occasionally bought a card but not recently.

She mentioned today that she needs to mulch her roses so maybe a bag of compost from my garden will be her first Mothering Sunday present in many years.

Corelli

My mother always insisted that it was lovely to get home made presents, something picked from the garden, a loving gesture rather than an extravagant spend. She hated the commercialisation of the Mothering Sunday tradition in a religion that meant so much to her.

I've not inherited her religious zeal but feel the same way about the offspring being made to feel that they are not showing enough love if they do not spend a significant amount.

To be given an expensive bunch of flowers would make me feel my children had been ripped off as the prices of plants and flowers goes up ridiculously for Mothering Sunday. But then, the growers need to make some money in a tight market so ... dunno... let those that need an extravagant symbol buy them at that time. I'd be happy with a phone call from my far away daughter and perhaps an extra special hug of appreciation from my still at home teen boy.

pigpen

Elsewhere wrote: »

It's an American import, like Coca Cola and the modern Halloween and was brought over by US soldiers in WW2

" UK-based merchants saw the commercial opportunity in the holiday and relentlessly promoted it in the UK; by the 1950s, it was celebrated across all the UK."

My mother didn't believe in it and I never encouraged my children to either.

no it isn't .. it is a christian festival.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/motheringsunday_1.shtml

Pollycat

ripplyuk wrote: »

I wouldn't dare buy my mum something from a charity shop. She'd sulk. It drives me crazy and it's the same on birthdays, Christmas etc. She neither wants nor needs anything as if she does want something, she doesn't wait for an occasion to get it. Despite this, my siblings and I all know we must arrive with an expensive bouquet of flowers, expensive perfume, fancy chocolates etc, etc. Even then, she moans "Oh, another bunch of flowers", "More chocolates", "I've too much perfume already". You can't please her.

I know she checks up on the prices of what we buy her. It's also irrelevant to her if these gifts put us into debt.

OMG! :eek:
Your Mother sounds like a right nightmare and I'd probably vote with my feet.

Checks up on the price of gifts?
What a nasty piece of work she sounds.

sew_what

I was just looking at an the Poundland Mothers day gifts and would love this! (and maybe something to go in it!)