Mothers' Day is coming up soon - 14 March -  in the UK. Now is a good time to think about how you - and your children's school/nursery - are going to handle it. 

Some schools and nurseries don't observe Mothers' or Fathers' Day at all. Instead, they celebrate family in other ways through the year. But most schools will mark both days with special activities. Planning ahead will give you time to decide what will work for your family and get the school on board. 

Cards and craft activities 

Making a card for Mum is a classic Mothers' Day classroom activity, which can upset kids. With a bit of planning though, everyone can feel included. Here's some options: 

• Make one card for both mums, or a card each 

• Make a card for a grandmother/aunt/other female relative 

• Make a card or two for both dads - even though it's mothers' day 

• Make a card for the foster carer(s) 

• Make a card for a special person of the child's choice 

• Make a card for/to think about the child's birth mum 

Check with school that they're not using pre-printed templates or very gendered crafts. You may decide that your child should skip this activity and have some special time out of class instead. 

Lesson plans about diverse families 

Many schools also hold lessons about family at this time of year. It's a great opportunity for them to show different kinds of families. There are some lesson plans available online which you can share with the school/nursery: 

"Love makes a family" display – make an art display featuring all the different families  

"Stella brings the family" – based on a popular book about a girl with two dads 

"All about my ____" questionnaire – a good replacement for the “All about my mum” activity 

"Who lives with you" – a simple house origami for the children to draw inside 

The Family Book circle time – a lesson plan for very young children based on Todd Parr’s popular book