Celebrating Mother's Day (And Your Host Mom!)

Mother’s Day is celebrated on different dates across the world, but the U.S. celebrates it on the second Sunday of May. This year, it falls on Sunday, May 10.

As an au pair, you are in a unique position to celebrate with your host family! Here are a few ways you can step in and make this a memorable Mothers Day for everyone.

1. Make one of your own mother’s signature recipes for your host mom. Whether your mother is famous for her paella or her macarons, recreating her cooking for your host mom is a special way to bring your two families together (especially if your host kids help you make it!). It can be a whole meal or just a treat, whatever you’re comfortable with.

2. Help your host kids create gifts for their mom. There are endless craft ideas out there for Mother’s Day cards and gifts that you can make with kids of all ages. Consider the children’s ages and what kind of materials you have on hand. You can also add a special touch to simpler gifts by doing something like framing one of your host kid’s drawings, or having it printed on a pillow or t-shirt through a company like Redbubble.

3. Arrange some extra quiet time for your host mom. Sometimes the best gift is being left alone! Give your host mom the gift of peace and quiet by taking the kids out for a whole day. This will give her the time to relax, catch up on a good book, or have a nice meal with your host dad.

One important thing to remember: whatever you do, make sure to clean it up! The last thing you want to do is undermine your thoughtful gift or gesture by giving her a chore to do in return. If your host kids make her homemade card, make sure to clean up all paper scraps and glitter! If you bake her a cake, get those dishes washed right away so she doesn’t have to stress with them. You can enlist your host kids and host dad in the cleanup process too, but just make sure it’s taken care of. With all of this in mind, you’ll make a great impression on Mother’s Day!