Kia ora koutou katoa, 

Term 2 begins and with it the hope that children settle, and we enjoy a little bit of peace and quiet. The month of May is when we celebrate our mums in all their fabulous forms. As foster mums it can be a bittersweet time where schools and kindys insist on children making cards and other crafts for their mums. I remember when I was a caregiver and Mother’s Day was a source of anxiety for the young people in our care. I could see them feeling conflicted in what they should do. If they made a gift for me, did it mean they did not love their mum? Did they believe I expected something from them and if I did, what could they give that I would want? If they genuinely wanted to give me something, would I reject it and see it as not good enough or would I react with over-the-top enthusiasm, another emotion they were not equipped to deal with. And what about the gift they wanted to give their mums but did not want me to know in case it hurt my feelings. Oh, the endless possibilities where an innocent celebration of our mums could be read in the wrong way and have the worst outcomes. So, what we decided in our house was that we would ensure everyone felt safe by not celebrating Mother’s Day. We agreed we did not need fancy advertising, instead we would practice being kind and caring every day and not wait for TV to tell us when to do that. It made life easier for everyone and really at the end of the day, as a caregiver, easy was good.