I know in my family her aunties, friends and our neighbour adore Ava just as much as her ‘mother’ does. When she visits these beautiful women, Ava receives all the touches of a ‘mother’ with hugs and kisses, laughs, they dance and sing with her, take care of and comforts her when she falls over, is scared or unhappy, play dress-ups, read to her, buy her the play jewellery, puzzles, books and toys that any 2-year-old little girl would love, tell her she’s loved and important, they wipe away her tears and jump with joy at the smallest of achievements.

When Ava attends daycare, she is left to be cared for by her teachers who then step into the role of ‘mother.’ All these women may not be called MUM, but they certainly support, love and cherish the heart of a child-like any mother does.

Happy Mother’s Day on Sunday to all the foster mums, aunties, grandmas, friends, carers, sisters, cousins, neighbours, teachers, nannies, au pairs and every other female in between that may not be called MUM, but who care for a child like a MUM does, all year round xo