Young still shy to tell mum 'I love you'

according to a government opinion poll in response to Mother's Day released yesterday.

Of those 13-18 year olds among a total of 2,400 children surveyed, 1.58 per cent said they would say it directly to their mothers while another 1.83 per cent said they would do it through electronic media. Another 2 per cent said they would write it in a note and leave for their mothers to read, without them present.

The poll, conducted by the Office of the National Culture Commission, divided the ages of respondents, "on the children side" in groups ranging from 13 to 40 years old. The poll also surveyed 1,500 mothers from the ages of 23 to 60, grouped in a 10-year range.

The ways most selected by children to treat their mothers on Mother's Day are: taking mums to eat out (26.42 selected by children over 40 years); giving mums kisses and hugs (16 per cent/13-18 years old); giving mums real or artificial yasmines, a symbol of mother-child love in Thailand, (13.33 per cent/6-12 years old); taking mums to make merit (8.92 per cent/31-40 years old).

The other ways are: giving mums gifts (7.42 per cent/19-22 years old); taking mums for medical checks (7 per cent/31-40 years old); giving mums cards (5.58 per cent/6-12 years old); giving mums money (5.25 per cent/older than 40 years old). The saying of 'I love you' both face-to-face and through e-media are the least selected among all 12 ways.

What mothers want their children to do with them most are: taking them out to eat (42.50 per cent selected by mothers who are 41-50); taking them out to make merit (18.80 per cent/60 years old); hugs and kisses (10.13 per cent/23-30 years old); being taken to have medical checkups (9.73 per cent/51-60 years old); cooking and eating at home (6.53/31-40 years old); receiving yasmines (3.07 per cent/various ages of mothers).