May 06, 2022
Thinking of you this Mother’s Day!
Happy Mother’s Day!
This weekend in Australia, we celebrate Mothers’ Day! Mums make the world go round, and this is a day to celebrate all of the mums!
We decided to ask some Plant Daddy mums a couple of questions about motherhood and life :)
- What does being a mother mean to you?
Ginnie: Unconditional love, responsibility, respecting their identity and individuality, helping a child to become themselves by teaching them to think by themselves, accepting your child for who they are and not trying to shape them into an idealised version of yourself.
Lisa:
It’s a cliche but it’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever done. I’ve been on stages around the world and been to over 50 countries, but spending time with my child beats it all.
- What does Mother’s Day mean to you?
Ginnie: It's important as it's an acknowledgement of my role as a parent, especially as a single parent. It's a reminder that we also need to be spoilt, workload (even mental load) free sometimes for us to be able to keep functioning. It's a very welcomed thankful moment. Being a single mum, I do expect to be celebrated on Mother's day AND on Father's Day as I always endorsed both roles.
Lisa: It’s about spending time with my family (including my mother) and feeling gratitude for the wonderful people in my life that support us.
- What is the best thing you have learned from being a mother?
Ginnie: I've learned that education goes both ways: you raise a child but the child raises you too. Being a mother gives you the opportunity to open your mind to different generations, different ways of thinking and of being, as well as the tools to free yourself from the biases and prejudices from your own childhood.
Lisa: Patience and the beauty of rediscovering the small things. Seeing my child’s reaction to them reminds me how amazing the world is. How interesting a simple leaf is, especially in autumn. Stopping and watching a bug do it’s thing. Today I watched bees enjoying our flowering basil. It was lovely
- How has motherhood changed you, and the way you see the world?
Ginnie: See above
Lisa: To be honest I'm more scared about the future and what we're leaving the next generation.
- What advice would you give to your younger self?
Ginnie: To stop feeling guilty for not having provided the 'perfect family'. That heteropatriarchal normative nuclear families are not more ideal nor more balanced nor more loving than mono-parental and/or rainbow families. That my best is enough.
Lisa: Go out and try things. Don’t try to grow up so quickly.
- How do you typically celebrate Mother’s Day, if at all?
Ginnie: Clémence makes me breakfast in bed, gives me presents, and we whether have lunch at a restaurant or do a fun activity. It's mother/daughter quality time. And if I'm lucky, we even take a selfie 😋
Lisa: Breakfast in bed of course with the dog trying to steal my food. Then just spending time together- time is the most valuable thing in the world.
- In your opinion, what is the most thoughtful gift a person can receive?
Ginnie: Love, hugs, support, reaffirmations of love. Why do you think we love those Mother's Day poems they write to us in primary school? They should never stop ❤️ If material: something you know has been thought and picked for you.
Lisa: Another's undivided attention and time.
- Have you carried on any family traditions or started your own? If so, what are they?
Ginnie: I baked the same birthday cake for Clémence since her first birthday. I used to wake her up at 6.10am (time she was born) with the cake and candles, so we had chocolate cake for breakfast and she had her birthday gifts waking up. Since her chronic fatigue syndrome, I have to wait for her to wake up (besides, candles with cats running around is not ideal, so it stays in the kitchen). We celebrate our fur babies' birthdays.
- What is your favourite family holiday?
Ginnie: Clémence's birthday and Mother's day. I used to love Christmas when she was young, I would start planning it since October. Now it's just us 2 in Australia, Christmas is not so fun, but I insist on doing Christmas Eve with French food and champagne.
- What is your favourite thing to do as a family?
Ginnie: Travelling! I miss travelling with Clémence now that she's an adult and prefers to travel with her friends (also because of Covid, and as we have 6 pets, it's difficult to organise house/pet sitting with someone we can trust so we can go away together).
Lisa: We love going to a little house in Batemans Bay where we enjoy nature and the ocean.
Hope you have a lovely weekend, full of sunshine and good vibes!