Mother's Day: We ask Wolverhampton folk how well they think they know their mothers
For many lucky people Mother's Day is about flowers, chocolates and giving something back to those who give so much of themselves.
But maybe we could all use Mothering Sunday as a learning experience too. Research from Ancestry in 2023 showed just over a third (37 per cent) of survey respondents said they were familiar with their mother’s life before having them - that was despite the fact nearly four-fifths of mothers (79 per cent) were willing to share their stories.
Sadly some people don't realise their mum's life is a blindspot for them until it is too late. To see how well Wolverhampton people think they know their mothers, and perhaps spark some new conversations, we took to the streets of Wolverhampton in the run-up to Mother's Day today (March 14).
What Wolverhampton people told us
Yasmin, from Wolverhampton, said she felt a maternal connection is important for cultural reasons, and she knows her own mother pretty well.
"[I know] enough that I could probably write a story about her. It's good to communicate with your parents and your mothers particularly, to find out your background, because I think that your lineage comes from your mother, not necessarily your father because, even though it seems a bit coarse, there's no typical way of finding out who your father is unless you do a DNA test. So ultimately it's your mother who you know your culture from, your history."
Ayla, from Pennfields, said: "Me and my mum have a very close relationship, we're very open and honest with each other.
"And as I've got older [...] she's opened up to me more about her past and her experiences, and given me advice from those experiences."
