For the past six years, the Dunedin woman has been a foster carer for Child, Youth and Family, a move that left some people asking why - and her children unsure.
Ms Reynolds, whose parents also fostered children, did it because she wanted to "put a few smiles on a few faces".
"I just thought I could make a difference," she said.
She will share Mother's Day tomorrow with her 19 and 21-year-old children and three long-term foster children: a 7-year-old boy, a 9-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy.
She has provided emergency and respite care to "several" other children, who could come to her at any time of the day or night, with as little as 20 minutes' notice.
It had become a "running joke" about how many people would be at her home on any given night.
She said the children she cared for often had "a whole range of issues".
The experiences had "generally been positive", but the role took "lots of time and lots of patience and energy".
"It's about having boundaries and not so much black and white; it has to be grey. You have to negotiate."
The main thing for her was being able to provide a child with a stable, calm environment.
"We have lots of fun, lots of laughs. Children don't always remember what you do, but they always remember how they felt.
"Hopefully, I can break the cycle of neglect and abuse and give them a different perspective on life," she said.
Receiving support from agency Fostering Kids, as well as from family, friends and schools, was important. So, too, was undergoing regular training and research.
Her relationship with those she fostered was always "child-led" and she was "flattered" when some called her "mum".
For more information about fostering, visit www.fosteringkids.org.nz or www.cyf.govt.nz
