International Family Day: Create lifelong memories with your loved ones!
There's an old saying which goes something like this: “What makes us who we are? It's the things we don't choose! The color of our skin, the city we are born in, family that raises us, that's what defines us!”
That is what makes us who we are! It brings light to our existence. But how often do we take a step back and acknowledge our families? Seldom do we thank them for their tireless efforts in raising us, putting us above their needs, every second of everyday.
Every family is different, and every family is unique. Probably that’s what makes each family special, that each is different from the other! Yet they all have something in common, the one thing that binds families together: selfless acts of unconditional love and prioritizing members of the family. That alone makes it the most important thing in our lives!
This International Family Day, lets celebrate “us” and our families, for giving us the beautiful gift of Life, a gift that keeps on giving. The happiness and joys of existing with a close knit unit that bestows upon us feelings of immense pride, the sorrows and sadness when faced with life’s challenges. It helps us build character while teaching us important life lessons through patience, love, care and occasionally a stern action. Pretty invaluable, right?
Family Day, as the name suggests, is a day set aside for us to celebrate with our loved ones. We often take our family for granted and assume things will always remain as is. But the arrow of time is cruel, we can never get back the lost time or revisit the good old days. By the time we realize what we’ve missed, it’s too late.
It's been a year and counting since the pandemic brought everything to a screeching halt. Seeing how all families are trying to cope with the global pandemic by staying put at home, we have come up with a unique list of activities that you can partake in and celebrate Family Day responsibly with love, care and undivided attention that's dedicated solely to acknowledge our family’s priceless presence in our lives.
So, this is your chance. Use the lockdowns and time spent at home to come together as a family and create some incredible memories that everyone will cherish forever. This is the true essence of Family Day.
Read through our list of activities mentioned below and choose the activity that best fits your family. Let’s make our families feel special, as they have made us feel the same way, everyday.
But smaller tasks like cleaning and washing the veggies, arranging ingredients, vessels and utensils in an orderly manner, learning about different recipes or being mindful and keeping track of time while cooking will help your child in understanding the effort it takes to cook a nice home cooked meal. It'll instill values of humility and will teach them to be thankful for what they have. After all, nothing hits home like a meal prepped with love and attention.
So, go ahead, plan that special breakfast, lunch or dinner beforehand and try to involve all the family members in making this activity all the more fun and engaging. Next time your kids ask for a specific meal, inadvertently they’ll be reminded of the labour it takes to cook. Or even better, they’ll volunteer to be a part of the effort!
This family day, let’s consciously cut down on our screen time, not just for the health benefits, but for the emotional benefits of connecting better with your family, a perfect way to disconnect from the world around us and be a part of the world within us, our family.
Try having an honest heart to heart conversation with your family, there's a world of curiosity and learning hidden in all of us. Narrating how you overcame a challenging work assignment or just acknowledging your child’s efforts at school or home, could be a start. For more tips on how to reduce screen time, click here.
3.Play a Boardgame: What better way to spend time with the family than playing board games! For parents, it's a great opportunity to introduce their children to the board games they used to play growing up. Board games operate on a subliminal level, surely an hour of fun and entertainment is on the cards for the entire family, but with the choosing of the right board game, you can provide your family with the avenue to play and learn.
Recent studies have indicated that innovative learning systems are on the rise, wherein conventional modes of teaching have taken a backseat and are being replaced with more informal but serious approaches by incorporating board games as a medium to instill life skills, propagate logical thinking and integrate qualities of empathy and patience.
So dust off the old box and go for board games that have easy to understand rules and engaging gameplay. A great opportunity for you to team up with your child and play the game with your family, share insights or stories of how you played, the strategies that you used to counter opponents moves. Dedicate a nice sunny afternoon, bring in some light snacks and get ready for a world of fun! Did you know that board games also have educational benefits? Read our blog to know more
With most gyms and clubhouses shut because of the lockdown, families are left with no option but to work out from home, why not give combined exercise a chance? It definitely beats the idea of working out in isolation, working out with family is relaxing and would help you break a sweat without knowing.
So wear masks and sanitize yourself well and head to the building compound for a round of badminton tournament with your family or a morning walk paired with short bursts of sprints! Introduce some skipping into the mix with jumps paired at every alternate rotation, the combinations are endless and so are the benefits which range from exercises to lose weight to those that’ll help kids in gaining height. Some floor based exercises devoid of weights could be done at your own house, granting your family to exercise together at home.
Some traditions can be practiced indoors, like reading with your child, having a small reading club where you discuss your interpretation of what the book means to you. Reading a bedtime story for your child is another, or have them narrate a story to you, a good way to develop their story skills.
A valuable addition would be to have a box of goals, said box need not be fancy just any useable box would do and put in your monthly goals, at the end of the month, review your progress and share it with your family
They say animals like most living beings are known to sense stress, depression amongst their owners, so the next time your feline companion looks adorably at you, know that there's more to this than meets the eye. Did you know, they go through emotional stress and depression as well? The reasons for the same could be lack of quality time amongst family, which usually leads them to not eating well. All that they need like any family member is undivided, sincere heartfelt attention.
Try a small scavenger hunt or a treasure hunt, take turns to leave a small paper trail and drop clues for every family member, reward them with a custom gift or a nice meal. Dumb charades is another go to game to try, as it will help in vocalizing shy kids and enable them to communicate more freely without words!
For visual learners, there’s Pictionary, just a book and some pens can suffice. You don't have to be Picasso or Vincent Van Gogh to illustrate the word assigned to you. Remember, it's always a good idea to celebrate the wins as it is to appreciate the efforts by encouraging family members for their sincerity. A fun family game night is always welcome no matter the game, fun is always guaranteed by product.
That special trip to the vacation home or first hair cut of your child. Their first day in school and last in college during graduation. But what truly makes this tradition incredibly sweet is the fact that you can add your own special notes, decorate it with lovely colors and add to the joy of visiting and browsing through this book, almost like a portal to the life that you have shared together with your family, a time capsule if you will!
“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth” - Khalil Gibran (Lebanese American author, poet and philosopher)
Make a neat family tree of your ancestors, this way your family can always remember and pay your respects to those members who are longer with us. It is always a good idea to include small mementos from your memory with the photos, to commemorate a special occasion you'd like to visit time and again.
Let them know that, even though you aren't their blood relative, you will always be there for them. A little heartfelt message would make them feel reassured and happy!
The main aspect of Family day as an occasion is to unwind, connect and relax with your family, after all you don't need a special occasion to show love and affection to your family. Let them know how much they mean to you, sometimes that’s all it takes.
We hope you guys make use of this and celebrate your family’s presence in your life everyday!
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