Are you allowed to divorce your son? :-)

My son and dil sent me and my female partner a rose named after both of us - Hicaz, and my daughter and partner sent both of us a card with restaurant vouchers inside. I feel really lucky that they remember not only to send me something but that they also regard my partner as a 'second' mum.

After my DCs got it in the neck from their dad(who I was separated from (now divorced)) and my DPs when they both assumed that their sibling was sorting out my Mothers day present and card and I didn't get anything, my two have been pretty good even though my DS doesn't do 'celebrations'. I have been known to buy my own present and then get the DC's to sort out who is paying me back (last year DS (Girl on the Train book) this year DD (Mum bead for my Pandora bracelet)) I always get 3 cards, one each from DCs and one from the DGDs (this year including DGD no 2 (aged 5 weeks) and written by DGD no 2)

maidmarion I don't see what is wrong with you sending a coat for your grandchild. Why shouldn't you send presents? It must be hard with your daughter living in another country. I hope your situation improves. . How about ringing her on Mother's Day and just saying I hope you have a lovely Mother's Day? Or will she think you're having a dig if she hasn't sent you a card or present? For some reason my younger daughter, although she sent me a birthday card (I received it at least a week early for some strange reason) at the beginning of the month, didn't send me a birthday present and hasn't even mentioned it. My daughters usually ask me what I want and I don't usually know, but she didn't say anything about, it but she's taking me for a meal tomorrow so she might say it's a combined birthday and Mother's Day present. I just think it's odd because she's never done this before. Children's actions can be hard to understand.

My youngest daughter is working tomorrow, starting at 9.30 am and finishing late. She gave me my present today because she wanted to be awake enough to see my reaction. She got me a plaque, which brought a tear to my eye, and some chocolate flowers,and an artificial one, in a pretty glass vase, because I have a black thumb. Sweet because she knows me well.

Has your son got a partner? Sometimes the other half show them what's expected. I remember when my two were in their twenties they had an argument about paying for a plant for me. I felt like they'd forgotten what Mothers Day was about. Now my son is married and in his thirties. He has called today with chocolates and a planter. My daughter is taking me for lunch tomorrow. I'm just suggesting your son may be a bit immature, depending on his age, and he might improve in time!

My son is cooking lunch for me, his mother in law, their toddler son and his wife who is expecting their 2nd child soon. He is baking a cake too.

He is a good cook, I'm a bit hit & miss, I think he learnt from my mistakes.

I feel the exact same allule. My daughters are the mums now, we give them lovely mums gifts.

I've always felt that once my daughters were mothers, they should get the cards and gifts, not me. But I have never won this argument.
(They do at least know my favourite chocolates )

maidmarion so very very sorry for you. I know it is not the same but can I send and just say I am thinking of,you.

One of my brothers would have periods of time, sometimes months, when he wouldn't visit our parents, even though living very close. We never worked out why this was. On Mothering Sunday, however, he would always turn up with the biggest, over-the-top card, flowers. chocolates etc.
My own DD's are thoughtful all-year round, though they also mark the occasion. I've bought them a little gift this year as they are lovely mothers to my grandchildren.

Presume tomorrow facebook and snapchat will be full of 'cards' so I'll stay away from it.

I persuaded my mother that I would skip the commercial day as it has got ridiculous, it's also a christian festival and I'm not. What i did do was to send flowers on International Women's Day on March 8th, with luck some of them would last long enough to double up if she wanted that marker.

i always sent my mother flowers for mothering sunday [won't call it mothers day as that's an american invention] until she died early in 2007. as i used interflora [or whatever] i also posted a card to arrive the day before.
when my children were little and we went to church they would go up and get a bunch of flowers and present them to me but i didn't get cards or any other present as my now ex husband didn't "do" mothering sunday.
getting a card from my son these days is hit and miss - sometimes i get one and sometimes i don't [and i have had them sent to another address in my road too] but my daughter usually gives me a card and a little present.
i've organised my grandaughters to give my daughter a present again this year - they don't have any money of their own and it's not the sort of thing that they can ask their mum for money to get! we know she loves thorntons chocolates and that's what she'll get.
i've had nothing from my son in the post this morning and am wondering if there'll be anything from my daughter tomorrow but will wait and see.

PS... I wouldn't have minded just a note written on a piece of paper - just 'something' ... 'anything'!!!

Thirty minutes ago the postlady came ... no card from my son. I was setting such store by this - not for the commercial aspect but for the fact it would have been a gesture to start communication again. I am totally bereft and have spent the last thirty minutes absolutely sobbing. I had really thought 'Mother's Day' would be a turning point. I haven't seen my grandson for months, and my daughter in USA isn't on speaking terms since before Christmas when I sent a coat for my youngest grand-daughter and she told me that I shouldn't send things as it makes her feel as if she can't look after the children without me. (It was actually a gesture of 'love' and to make up for the fact that I hardly ever see them.) I haven't spoken to her (or the children) since Christmas day when I had a very stilted conversation. I don't know how I'm going to get through tomorrow when I know there will be a lot of mums being shown how much they are loved. (I know some of you on here will think I'm crazy, setting such store by 'one day' - but it is (historically) the day when mothers were (are) remembered. (Had two visits to the doctor this week as just can't seem to ctop crying...) Sorry for all this blether, but just needed to 'tell someone'.... Very sad and utterly empty.

Spoke to my 38 year DS and 42 year DD today and they are coming for breakfast tomorrow without kids and spouses which will be nice - from DS "Can you do a big English Mum" !! . I think I will remind him of the days when tiny the two of them always made me breakfast in bed on Mothering Sunday ?

Personally I've always considered my son's birthday to be Mother's Day. My DIL announced on Facebook that they were not doing any presents this year as last year family and friends' presents cost in the region of £1,500. They have a baby and a mortgage. Very sensible of them, and also very brave. I told them myself - no mother's day flowers please, but do bring me a card of some sort with a lot of lovely words as I can treasure it and it will outlive me. I know they love me. I take care of my granddaughter 2 days a week and she comes for a sleepover when mummy and daddy want a night out/time to be a couple. I am so lucky to be able to share her with them a little bit. For me it is a massive privilege to still be part of a family. Sod the flowers, chocolates and the rest of the useless stuff we feel obliged to buy for one another when a kiss and a hug would mean a whole lot more.

As I have said on a previous post- I get cards & presents from younger son- bought & given to me by my DiL on the Friday when I pick the children from school. Very nice presents they are too but what I really want is to see him - 10 mins would do- on the day & get a hug. They live 15 mins away.
Since the DHC arrived they have always treated Mothering Sunday as Dil's day & I appreciate that it is that too- I only want 10 mins.
Other son - 30 mins away usually comes over with flowers but it is the hug I get that matters.

Maybe I should say that but I get on very well with DiL & don't want to upset her- especially as she lost her own Mum last year & this is only 2nd MS without her. It's not that important really I suppose- maybe I am just getting old & touchy.

Far far too commercialised when you realise how mothers day first came about.Employers of a maid / manservant gave their servant a day off? (how kind of them!!)to visit their mother.
How many now never bother with their mum until they are blasted with tv adverts from the manufacturers of confectionery, cards and supermarkets with their flowers.
I tell my kids who are long distance but hardly a day goes by without a phone call or email to me that they don't need to do this. I would rather they spend it on their children when you realise how costly it is to bring up families these days.

We don't pay much attention to Mothering Sunday, Fathers' Day or Valentine's Day. DH &I might exchange a jokey card on Valentine's but do not make a big deal of the day. The DDs might call in with a card or notfor M /F day depending on how busy they are. We all know we love one another and care about each other and show it in all kinds of ways... not going to jeopardise that by getting in a grump over a card on a particular day! However the OPs son was a teeny bit thoughtless to articulate his thoughts

Too commercialised as everything is now.......but hey, he rang, OK wrong day but if its the thought that counts, he thought of you.

Men are no always very good at this stuff and maybe the word would be happier if that atritude won out of the pressures put on us by advertisers.

I had a glorious gift from my kids this morning..........doesn't happen always, more often than not they are skint.......I can make that lovely memory last forever.

It is a traditional day and you can bet it wasn't celebrated with the deluge of cards and floral tribues back then, just a visit home maybe and a few spring flowers.

Keep it simple...........

I suppose he thought he was being thoughtful in explaining his reasons for not giving you a card - otherwise you would think he'd forgotten or didn't care.

Whilst I agree that Mothers Day is a rip-off, along with many other occasions that have been hijacked by big business, I still observe it for my own Mum because she would be upset if I didn't.

My daughter no longer gives me a card/present because she too has arrived at the conclusion that it is a rip-off. Because I know this is her reasoning and in any case she has several, probably justified, grievances about my parenting, I understand and accept it.

They were talking on the Wright Stuff about extremely rude Mothers Day cards. I agree - I'd rather not have a card than receive a vulgar one, although my son always gives me a funny card and I don't mind that at all.

I'm thinking it is probably past the time in the morning for our postman to call! Never mind, we'll do our duty and take a card and gift for MIL tomorrow

I agree it is a commercial and have been a bit surprised at friends at work buying proper presents for their mums. I think the point is an opportunity for some communication. Always nice. I encourage mine to get that 29p card but write something proper on it that means something to both.
I do wish I had let my mum know what a great mum she'd been. One day it too late after they've gone.

My son has not sent me a card for anything since he was about 12 years old - my daughter does remember and, until he moved away from home, she used to sign it with his name as well although he never paid a penny towards the cost.
He now lives in the US with my d-i-l and has two kiddies. I get a message via the messages part of Facebook from him on my birthday just saying Happy Birthday but at least he has bothered - which is more than he did previously. I have started doing the same back although I do ensure his birthday money is with my d-i-l in good time. He doesn't remember Mother's Day or any other celebration but that is how he has always been.

A few years ago, when my son was with a previous partner, they invited me to dinner on mothers day and I refused. I pointed out that the only other time they had invited me round was on my birthday 9 months earlier. I said that if they are only going to bother when they feel they must then don't bother at all. Son is now married to someone else and we have a great relationship now