We don't celebrate mother's day.

[Hopthegoodgod]

We have one son who is 30 and I have never encouraged him to celebrate Mothers Day. I believe that love and respect for family members should be celebrated everyday. Plus over the years I have seen Mothering Sunday turn into a commercial racket. Both my husband and I have a great relationship with our son and when he was little and made me a handmade card at school , I always thanked him and praised his 'artwork'. But that's as far as it went. I have a wonderful mother who also instilled in us to celebrate and respect one another daily. She also shunned it once we were old enough to understand. However, I am increasibly aware that those around us think its strange. Does anyone else out there think Mother's Day is just a forced con?

Sounds miserable. But you do you.

I love it. One day of the year when I get a special day of being fussed over. I also get love shown on other days. I don’t expect anyone to spend lots of money but I do expect little thoughtful gestures that show they want to appreciate me on Mother’s Day. I don’t think that’s a racket. But you do you!

My mil thought Mother’s Day was unnecessary and told us off after I encouraged my then boyfriend to buy her a gift as I always bought for my dm.
We never bought her a Mother’s Day card or gift again. However dsil, who is a lot younger than dh, always bought her dm a card and never got told off. I’m sure dsil thinks her db was awful but she will not know about the circumstances as we’ve never mentioned it.

Seeingadistance, I was actually going to come on here and say "mothering Sunday" the Mother refers to the Church. I see someone was sulking on a post yesterday because she wanted sandwiches, sausage rolls cake strawberries and shock horror,dad and dd BOUGHT them in M and S,oh the tragedy! Birthdays,you have one the day you were born. These things have got ridiculous,"special" birthdays, milestones. Kids appear to expect special treat at 18 and 21. I am 75, there was nothing like this growing up.

I don't think it's a racket- though we don't do it- but on MN some posters go over the top. IRL most people seem normal about it.

I have often taken the opportunity to insist upon a a family walk or dinner.

My DC at uni will text the group chat. One of them will be reminded, and that will prompt the other. It’s enough and very sweet.

I may call in my walk in a couple weeks when they are home for Easter.

The two aren't mutually exclusive. It's perfectly possible to show love and respect every day, and also to celebrate along with other family and friends on a specific day. Not marking it doesn't make one morally or intellectually superior, which often seems to be the undercurrent on MN.

We never did it when I was a child, and I don’t do anything for my mum now.

I’d be happy with my DDs (6&3) not doing it, and we don’t do anything like go out for lunch, but they obviously do it at school & beavers so I’ve been given handmade cards and paper flowers which are lovely.

I'm in my mid-50s and remember it from childhood.

We didn’t used to either, my parents just weren’t at all bothered by it. In fact my dad used to get a real bee in his bonnet about Father’s Day for some reason.

I think it mattered to me when my DC were actually children. Now they're adults it's not something I'm bothered or have any expectations about.

We celebrate it in a low-key way. DH usually gets me some chocolates, the children often make a card. Sometimes they bring me toast and tea in bed. Father's day is similar.

I will say Happy Mother's Day to my mum, buy her a small gift e.g. small bunch of flowers, and a card.

We might have a family meal together, as we often do for birthdays etc, but usually at home and nothing too extravagant. My mum is visiting my sister this weekend (to help with childcare as BIL is away), se I'm not seeing her. We don't have any specific plans today.

I like your ethos of respect throughout the year. I think it's a shame when people have children or partners (depending on age of children) who leave it all to them daily and then there's a big expectation on Mother's Day to somehow make this right.

Plenty of people do both, I'm nice to my mum everyday, a bunch of flowers and an invite to lunch today will be appreciated. Yes there's lots of tat for sale in the name of mother's day. I don't buy it, I embroidered my mum a card and bought her a garden plant. Sounds a bit grumpy to me to do nothing but you do you.

I gave my mum flowers on Friday, I don’t want to waste my Sunday visiting her. I really don’t like forced interaction days with her so that was my compromise. When I do see her it’s never as bad as I expect but I still would rather just not.

I don’t have an issue with it. I always make sure to get my own mother something and she likes it. She doesn’t want her birthday celebrated so it’s the one time she gets spoiled. I’m not that bothered about it myself but it’s nice to have a day to use as an excuse to have a rest.
now Valentine’s Day is one thing I absolutely cannot be arsed with .

As is always the case when it comes to relationships. If everyone is happy with what you do, it’s fine. There is no right or wrong and what sounds miserable to some might be idyllic for others.

Some years we’ve done a Sunday roast or a meal out, other years it’s just been a hug from the kids and a cuppa tea in bed. I don’t really care either way. Today we are out for lunch with grandparents but then I need to get back to finish painting DS room before the busyness of the week starts again tomorrow!

Leaving soon to go a walk outdoors at a National Trust place with family. And I received a bunch of flowers chocolates and cards for Mother's Day. So far so good! I will cook family dinner but that's because I don't mind cooking and enjoy it. No complaints here.

I agree with you OP. I grew up unaware of mother's and father's day. I started to notice when my 3 brothers married and their wives started sending cards to my mum. My kids would bring cards back from nursery/ primary school but we would not go out or celebrate in any way. I certainly did not expect my husband to buy me things from the kids.
This year my eldest is 23 and she has apparently posted a card which will probably arrive in about a week as we get our post very erratically. I am touched by that as it is not something my kids have particularly grown up with. My other 2 probably won't even notice it is mother's day.
We now attend our local Anglican church and I have learned that it is a church event traditionally and has been hijacked.

I don’t mark it. My own mother is long dead but I ask my now adult children to ignore it. It’s just for Hallmark, Moonpig etc to make money.
My kids have each posted me a card but as much as I love my children I wish they hadn’t.

DH aways encouraged the DC to make cards, took them to buy flowers and maybe another small gift. Now they are adults they still give me cards and flowers and would be sad if I asked them to stop.

We celebrate all sorts of dates in our family, all in a low key way. It is a lovely way to be together.

OP, carry on as you are but please do not assume your way is better.

I’m going out for lunch with my two girls and granddaughter, they’ll have cards for me, my favourite card will be the one my granddaughter has made.

It doesn’t have to cost a lot and it doesn’t stop them appreciating and showing love and care throughout the year. It doesn’t have to be either/or.

My kids are lovely and thoughtful and we really get on. It’s great.
But I also love that both the older two have arrived home from uni this weekend without discussion/expectation because they wanted to see me today. I feel loved and that’s wonderful.
So no, it doesn’t feel fake or like a con to me.
I am now going to sit in the living room and be brought a cup of tea and hot cross bun. 👍

I’m 3000km away from my kids. A phone call will do just fine

No. Having lived in many different countries, I've experienced mother's day celebrated in many different ways, none of them are driven by commercialism.