Whether it’s her smile, the way she gives hugs or the meals she cooks, mothers are special in the eyes of their children.

Megan Holman said one of the things special about her mom is her ability to communicate.

“She is always there to listen to the problems I have,” Megan said.

Megan is one of the many children attending the essential personnel day camp offered at the Purks YMCA.

Lead by YMCA childcare director Dana Tankersley, children from ages 5 through sixth grade have the opportunity to play games, swim and do arts and crafts during the free, day-long program.

This week, the children made Mother’s Day cards to show their appreciation. Some were also willing to share what makes their mothers so special.

Brady Parsons, whose mom works at Mission Primary, said one of the things that makes his mom special is her cooking.

“It tastes good,” Brady said, adding, the meatloaf is his favorite. “She is also nice and loving, and she is a great mom.”

One of the favorite things Brady said he liked to do with his mom is swim in their swimming pool.

Luke Bond said his mom was also a “great cooker” and that she has a cheery disposition.

“She’s an occupational therapist and what I like about her so much is that she is very kind and she is so nice to people and cares about people, and she is so generous,” Luke said.

Watching Netflix, specifically “On My Block,” is one of the favorite things Luke said he liked doing together with his mother.

For Megan, playing with the family pets is one of her favorite ways to spend time with her mom.

“We like to go outside and play with our dogs,” she said. “She is a good animal lover. She has saved a lot of animals and she is really caring.”

Raelynn Marshall said one of the special things about her mother is the way she relates to family and friends.

“She is so nice to people, and she is always happy when she sees people,” Raelynn said. “She always waves at them, and they wave back, and she is nice to our mamaw and papaw.”

Raelynn said her favorite things to do with her mom include playing with Legos and reading books.

Edward Knight likes practicing soccer and cooking with his mom.

He is also proud of her.

“She is probably the best worker at her job,” Edward, whose mother works at Regions Bank, said.

And she is special because “she takes care of me, she gives me an allowance, she feeds me and she loves me.”