Tips for Inclusive Celebrations on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day 

Mother's Day and Father's Day are significant for many families. However, these traditional celebrations may not include all family types. As educators and early childhood professionals, it's important to create inclusive activities that recognise and celebrate the diversity of family structures in our community.

Early Planning and Communication: Talk with families in advance to understand their unique dynamics. Asking how they wish to be included and using their preferred language can make a big difference.

Inclusive Activities: Offer options such as “Just for You,” “You’re the Best!”, “Today I am Celebrating You”, or “I Love You!” cards, allowing children to celebrate any special adult in their life.

Avoid gender stereotypes in crafts and provide flexible options for participation.

Don’t let a child be alone: If your school has a Mother’s Day event where mothers come in, make sure no child is alone while others have a family member present. Make sure someone—maybe a teacher can be there to be with that child.

Opportunities to educate: Talking about the diversity of family structures through discussions or story times is an easy way to be inclusive. For a curated selection of wonderful books that showcase different families, including those in the LGBTQ+ community, you can explore plenty of options on the Early Childhood Australia website.

For children aged 0-3 years, visit Early Childhood Diversity Books 0-3 Years, and for children aged 3-6 years, check out these Early Childhood Diversity Books.

Flexible Celebrations and Feedback: After any Mother's Day or Father's Day celebrations or activities, ask for feedback from students to understand how the inclusive activities went, what could be improved and what went really well.

This helps to refine activities and make them even better next time around. 

Need some support? Professional Development and Training: Rainbow Families offers a fantastic, new Early Childhood Family Diversity and Inclusion Training program, led by Marly Greenwood, which supports the National Quality Standards and the Early Years Learning Framework V2.

This training helps educators to engage with diverse families warmly, confidently and effectively and create a welcoming environment for all.

**Download our free PDF resource below to share with your staff members for some easy ways to be inclusive on these special days; 

Including diverse families on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.