50 Easy Ways to Spread Joy & Honour All Mums (Not Just Your Own!) This Mother’s Day

 

Mother's DayMother’s Day isn’t simply about honoring our own mothers or mother figures in our lives, but honouring all mothers. A simple smile or a compliment can go a long way with someone who is having a rough day. If you’re looking for new ideas to spread some joy for all the mothers you come across—on Mother’s Day or on any old day—I’ve compiled a list of 50 easy ways to spread joy and make a mum feel special, whether it’s a friend, a neighbour, or a stranger:

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  1. Hold the door open for someone who is pushing a stroller or whose hands are full.
  2. Help a mum put groceries into the boot of her car (obviously, ask before you start grabbing her stuff!).
  3. Let a mum with kids go ahead of you at the checkout.
  4. In line in front of a mum and her kids at a cafe? Buy her a coffee.
  5. Watch a friend’s kids for an afternoon.
  6. Give a hard-working mum you know a gift certificate for a pedicure and a pair of new soft, comfy throw.
  7. Make a home-cooked meal for a neighbour (just make a double batch of whatever you’re cooking).
  8. Send hilarious Mother’s Day e-cards to all the hardworking mums you know.
  9. Write and mail a letter to a mum that lives close to you (who wouldn’t expect written mail from you).
  10. Donate gently used clothes, jewellery, bedding, blankets or towels to a women’s shelter.
  11. Leave a sticky note with some words of encouragement or a funny joke on a friend’s door.
  12. Send a bouquet or a box of chocolates to someone.
  13. Compliment a mum on the street. Who doesn’t love compliments?
  14. Put together a “new mum kit” for someone’s first Mother’s Day. Items can include nappies, onesies, teething toys and something for Mum like a personalised necklace or a gift card to a local restaurant.
  15. Lend some parenting books or magazines to a new mum.
  16. Buy a box of chocolate truffles and pass them out at the school gate while waiting for the bell.
  17. Tell someone they are doing a great job as a mum.
  18. Make a mixed CD or a Spotify list of non-kid music (like your/her favoruite music from uni) for your mum friends.
  19. Send flowers or stop by a friend’s work with a small gift.
  20. Donate to a charity in a friend’s name.
  21. Send a purely emoji text message. (Don’t forget to include some hearts and the flower bouquet!)
  22. If someone asks for prayers, pray for them, even if you don’t share the same beliefs.
  23. Share a hug with someone who really needs it.
  24. Bake cupcakes and pass them out to the mums at daycare or school.
  25. Offer to pay to fill up a mum’s car or even do the petrol run for her.
  26. Leave a bottle of wine and a note by a neighbour’s front door.
  27. Buy a gift card at a restaurant and give it to a family who is just coming into the restaurant.
  28. If you run into a mum you haven’t seen in a while, take a couple minutes to ask how the kids are doing and what their interests are, and ask to see pictures.
  29. Arrange a house cleaning service for a busy mum.
  30. If you’re on public transportation or in a busy waiting room, offer up your seat to a mum.
  31. Send a funny joke or meme in an email to all the mums you know. (Don’t forget to use BCC so you’re not giving out everyone’s email addresses.)
  32. Send a compliment to your mum friends via Facebook Messenger.
  33. If it’s raining, offer to share your umbrella with a mum in need.
  34. Don’t forget grandmothers on Mother’s Day! Send flowers to your own grandmother and cards to any of your friends who are grandmothers.
  35. If you have taken pictures of someone else’s kids, perhaps from a birthday party or a school event, have a picture framed and give it to their mum.
  36. Offer to go grocery shopping for a neighbour.
  37. If you have fruit trees or grow vegetables, share your bounty with neighbours.
  38. If you’re in a position to help, offer to do a load of laundry for a friend who doesn’t own a machine.
  39. Host a “mum’s night out” party, complete with movies, snacks, facial masks and no kids!
  40. Treat a tired mum to a spa day.
  41. If you know someone has a hobby they don’t get to spend much time on—knitting, scrapbooking, gardening—pick up some supplies for them as a surprise.
  42. Pay a mum’s parking metre.
  43. Bring extra bottles of water for the mums sitting in the sun at school sporting events.
  44. If you’re out at a busy restaurant or amusement park, leave a couple (clean) nappies on the changing table in the baby change room. You never know; you may end up helping someone who is really in need!
  45. Send a care package to a mum friend who has moved far away. Send a couple small things that will remind her of your friendship and of the place they used to live.
  46. Sweep the leaves off someone’s driveway or footpath.
  47. Take your favourite mum-friend’s car to get washed, vacuumed and get the petrol topped up.
  48. Share a smile with every mum you pass on the street.
  49. Send a hilarious YouTube video to a mum you know.
  50. Simply ask a friend what she needs help with. Maybe she just needs to know someone is there for her.

More Mother’s Day ideas:

Image: Getty / Brigitte Sporrer