3 Activities To Do With Your Mom This May!

What do you think about when you hear “mother”?

We often think about who they are in relation to their children, and have a hard time seeing past their mothering. While being a mother means caring for their children and family becomes the priority, it is important for us to still appreciate that they are precious individuals with unique talents, gifts and passion. This May, we hope to provide some suggestions on how you can see your mother beyond who she is as your main caregiver most of your life. We hope you can encourage her to find a creative outlet, and demonstrate your appreciation for her as a woman who gave up much of her pursuits when she became your mother.

We have compiled a list of creative endeavors inspired by some local creators and/or entrepreneurs! In one creator’s craft, you can see her mother’s handprint all over her work today. Another one of the featured creators even started a business because of her craft projects with her children! Two of them may already be mothers, but the last feature is a 20 year old who started a baking business with his girlfriend, while still serving National Service, with his mother’s support and input.

We hope their journeys of being mothers, or mothering will inspire you to start a project with your mother (or child) this May. As you work through each project with your mother for each of the remaining weekend this May, we hope you will have a meaningful time bonding with them!

Emily Seck is a Christian artist who expresses herself through painting and calligraphy. She seeks to capture beauty and truth in everyday life, especially through plants and Bible verses! She got started with art through observing her mum since young! When she was a child, her mother would sew their clothes, draw and paint, and involve in her those projects. Her mother, who gave up her job as a teacher, never made Emily nor her brothers feel like they were disturbing her or slowing her down in any way. She came to realise what a sacrifice it was when she became a mother herself and stopped working as an architect when her son was born.

Being an avid gardener, her mother always readily points out interesting features of the plants, and that has instilled in Emily a strong appreciation of God’s handiwork in nature. This has inspired her to incorporate plants into her artwork.

Emily shares that the verse which embodies her mother’s qualities well is from Proverbs 31:27: “She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”

My mum is always busy doing something! If she’s not painting or crafting, she’s likely fixing something, tending to her plants or experimenting on a recipe! Always learning, helping and blessing others.

How precious it was for them to be working together on a mural painting by a renowned Singaporean botanical artist, Lucinda Law. They had lent a helping hand one afternoon and had so much fun together doing what they love – painting plants!

What will you paint with your mother?

Check out Emily’s work on Instagram @studioseck

Amelia Tang is a Christian multi-talented unicorn! Just kidding – she’s a photographer and video producer by day, and at all other times run a slime business. Ever since the birth of her children, she’s been doing all kinds of quirky crafts for and with them! It started from homemade playdoh, reusing cardboard to make different things, and eventually slime!

Slime making started one year-end holiday period when she was trying to find an engaging activity for her son who was four years old then. She saw some videos of really colourful slime and how to make it. She thought to herself, what more could a child want? This is a legitimate way to have messy play which children enjoy!

 

She feels that it is truly a joy for her to regard her children as muses. If God had not blessed her with them, she would never have gone down this path of starting a slime business. Not even in her wildest dreams! It is particularly meaningful that her children have this experience with her. While she’s worried that they will eventually outgrow the slime phase, they still ask to play with it at least once a week.

Amelia shares that a verse that encourages her in her mothering is from Colossians 3:2, which says, “Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

“Especially when my husband and I deal with our children and the concepts of gift receiving, and blessings that God has given us. It is our prayer that we can constantly teach our kids (and ourselves) to look more to the Giver, and not focus too much on the gifts and how much we can get and receive. It is also a lesson steeped in contentment and being fulfilled by God.”

Even though Amelia started making slime for her pre-school aged children, many of her customers are adults! Why don’t you try making slime with your mother this week? After all, adults will enjoy messy play too!

Check out Amelia’s work on Instagram @quaintcandy and her Website https://quaintcandy.com/

Roy Pang is a 20 year old, but he started a baking business with his girlfriend while still serving National Service. He shares that his mother has been extremely supportive both physically and also in the ideation of his business. She has also directly supported his business by sharing with her friends his business venture, and also provides him with a means of delivery by driving him around Singapore every weekend to make deliveries.

Having spent so much time together, Roy’s worldview, ideas and thoughts have are indelibly shaped by his mother. As a result, he has grown to receive and act on critique better, improve what he’s selling and how to communicate clearly and well to his customers. She has sharpened his thought processes – to be objective and wise before making a judgment or decision. This enables him to not only be more independent, but also respond with an even temper and be more understanding.

“No words can describe how much I love and appreciate her care for me. I pray that there will be many more mother’s days to come, for us to celebrate and enjoy together.”

What a wonderful experience, joy and blessing it is to be hustling alongside one’s mother!

What can you bake with your mother this May?

Check out Roy’s creations on Instagram @ombake.d