When you live at home:
• Breakfast in bed, or at least breakfast you’ve put together for mom is absolutely de rigueur. Make it a meal of treats, even if they are foods she is normally forbidden to eat or denies herself.

• Gently persuade her to not to do all her daily chores. Take her out to lunch, or organize some home delivery that day. Or you can book her for pampering that day.

• Through the day, shower her with great surprises, like the breakfast tray, the little gift by her toothbrush, the card on her favorite chair, the flowers on the dining table or her bed side, the movie tickets for the parents she’s been dying to see.

• Let the dinner time be the crowning touch on the bouquet of celebration. Make sure all her kids in town are together at the table, we suggest going out to dinner, so she doesn’t freak out about the state of kitchen and the dishes afterwards. Choose a restaurant she will enjoy, and arrange for a little cake to be presented to her at the table.

When you live away from home:
• If you live in the same town, reschedule everything to put spotlight on mom on her special day. If you have your own kids, make arrangements for them to be taken care of that day as you are busy in making a special day for your mother.

• Conspire with dad or someone else in the natal home to make sure that mom receives all the attention she would have if you lived at home

When you live far away:
• Don’t fall for the ease of an e-mail card; go the whole hog and choose a paper card that really describes your feelings for your mom. And post it in time, of course.

• Why put together a small parcel to reach your mom back home on that day? Perhaps you could send a parcel to a friend, rather than directly to mom. Think of how loved mom will feel when your friend lands up on the doorstep on mother’s day with your parcel and flowers.

• Don’t make the contents of the parcel a last minute consideration, through the year, look for little gifts and practical items that you know mom will like. These include notes on each item of where you found the piece, and how you thought of her when you picked it up.

• And finally, you’ve sent the card; you’ve had the parcel delivered. Now pick up the phone because mom will love to hear your voice.