• After a fun day at the picnic, you troop home, throw off your shoes, take a shower, and demand to have dinner in bed. Your equally, if not more, tired mother comes back and prepares dinner, puts all the soiled clothes in the washing machine, and finishes other chores before turning in for the night.

Serve breakfast in bed

Of course, this will mean waking up earlier than her, but it should be worth the lost sleep. If you know how to light the stove and make tea, you would manage to put together a simple breakfast for your mother on you own. If you cannot cook, ask daddy or any elder for help.

Choose a menu to suit her choice. Make her tea black if she likes it that way. Add jam to the toast and not butter, if that is what she prefers. Put her favourite flower in a slim vase at the centre of the tray to add that special touch. Take the tray, place all the dishes carefully in it, and serve her breakfast in bed. Then keep a camera ready to capture that dazzling, surprised smile. Do not forget to clean up the kitchen and wash the dishes afterwards or you would be leaving all the chores to her, just like everyday.

Give the card a miss

How would you feel if your mother served you packaged soup when you were expecting your favourite home-made dish? Anything that we create by ourselves always has that special edge over goods that you can purchase; perhaps it is due to the special ingredient called love. So instead of buying a card, signing your name in it, and giving it to her, don't you think she will like it more if you write your own poem or note or paint a picture for her? It may be less fanciful than a store-bought card but it would hold greater meaning and value for your mother.

Make her a gift

You may also decide to put your craft skills to use to make your mother some thing like a shell necklace or a papier mâché bracelet or a small embroidery-laced handkerchief. If you mother wears salwar kameezes, get a simple plain-coloured dupatta. Print designs on it using vegetables; even tiny palm prints made by your little sister will do. Now, wait for her to proudly show it off to all!

Go for your mother's choice

Find out what your mother likes, it could be anything—walking by the sea, eating pizza at a particular restaurant, attending a musical concert. Then go out and arrange a simple outing based on this information. Not only will she feel very happy, you too will feel very proud about having taken her out, after all these years of her doing so.

Involve her friends

Other than your family, you must have a group of friends who you like spending time with. Think about your mother. She may have friends too but she rarely gets time to talk to them, leave alone spend time and indulge in any group activity with them. Would it not be a great idea, therefore, to get your mother to spend a fun evening with her friends? Instead of you taking your mother out, send her along with her friends to enjoy. She will come back thanking you for a lovely evening.

Organise an event

It requires some planning and practice but the end result, smiley faces all around, will make up for all the sweat. Plan a programme for all the mothers of the neighbourhood, just as you would for celebrating a special day like Independence Day in the society. Involve all the children in the area and put together some dances, a play, a magic show…whatever you can. Of course, all these things have to be done by you children; no outside help allowed.

Make your mother the focus, this Mother's day. That's all that is really required. Be with her, make her feel special in whatever manner you choose. You will realise it does not take much to make her feel cared for and to see her smile.