I think you generally either sit on one side of the fence with this question but actually I'm not too sure myself. I personally am lucky enough to have a fabulous mum and to be a new mum myself so the chance to really make a fuss and take that time out to spoil and be spoilt is well rather lovely. However my mean side couldn't help but be resentful when I managed to spend £10 on 2 measly cards (not to mention the gifts), frustrated at not being able to get in to anywhere that serves food for all the families that were piled up and being bombarded with continuous happy mother's day messages at every turn be it the TV, radio, facebook etc...enough already.
It's obviously a major opportunity for the retailers/card manufacturers/restaurants to cash in and I actually think I'm coming round to the way of thinking that the message shouldn't just be something we roll out once a year and it is all well a bit of a rip-off. The whole day has a feeling of being overly commercialised so it starts to become obligatory and hence the message starts to mean less. You go through the motions, buy the bits that you have to buy, go to the meal that you have to go to and then tick it off the list like another job done.
On the other hand perhaps my newly negative point of view has more to do with the fact that this is the view of my husband who forgot to get me a card on behalf of my 1 year old as he got distracted by the football. Perhaps if I had been showered with chocolates, jewels and flowers I would be much more gushing of the occasion. Indeed I'm sure the day my daughter hands me a home made card my heart will melt and it will be the best thing in the world, time shall tell.
so so true. I can't stand the way every single retailer now jumps on the occasion promotion bandwagon however tenuous. Being the owner of a 7 and 4 year old I was lucky enough to get two hand made cards, worth all the jewels in the world (nearly!) - the one from my 4 year old had the special addition of lots of random 'drawings' of ghosts and a fuzzy version of himself being 'freaked out' by them. Too much Scooby Doo methinks!
ReplyDeleteHome-made cards from loving offspring are wonderful at the time - but even more wonderful to look back on 10 years down the line.
ReplyDeleteI completely concur. It's not about how much you spend. Gifts should be based on the love that you feel, not on which restaurant you choose.
ReplyDeleteI rang up my local pub to book lunch and was outraged when the manager informed me that Mothering Sunday lunch was £25 per head (usually £10) and a minimum booking of 4 was needed. Greed at its worst.