Having a good relationship with your family is important. Not only does it make life at home more interesting and fun, it is also good for health. If you have people close to you whom you can depend on in times of trouble and sickness, you can cope with your problems more easily, and are less likely to fall into depression. You also tend to be happier, and as we all know, happiness is a solution to longevity and good health.
Yet these days, the youngsters tend to prefer spending holidays with their friends and significant others. They would do dinners and count down parties outside of home, while parents consider the holiday a well-earned rest. But the holiday season is the best time for family get-togethers as it is a rare time when everybody gets time off work or school. It would be such a waste not to spend this precious free time together!
Parents may perhaps attribute this lack of interest to celebrate holidays with family to generation gaps and differing interests. Indeed, few parents would like to go to the foam party or clubbing with their children. But regardless of generation gap, family members should enjoy their time together and have strong bonds with each other. If you find yourself leading your life separately from your children, the problem may be more of a lack of communication than an age gap, and you should consider ways to mend the gap.
Here are some ideas to get you started!
1. Studies have shown that children who regularly eat dinner with their parents have bigger vocabularies, earn better grades, are less likely to do drugs and less likely to be overweight than children who don’t. This is because they adopt interaction skills from their parents, as well as enjoy their parents' attention. Start making once-weekly family dinners compulsory!
2. The family that plays together stays together. If dinner is usually followed by the television, laptop and telephone, it’s time to pull the plug. There are board games and card games for every age and temperament, as well as creative games like charades and active games like Twister. Teenagers may groan, but which are they more likely to look back on nostalgically, the time spent staring at the television or the time spent defeating mum overwhelmingly at Monopoly?
3. There is one common saying that every parent knows, "time flies". The baby you held yesterday has become an adolescent, and will be on his/ her own before you know it. You can’t catch time in a bottle, but you can watch it go. Don't spend all your time at work, or all your time in the kitchen. Set aside some time every night to interact with your child.
4. Give yourselves the gift of time. While all sorts of entertainment are available these days, from movies to theme parks, it is often time spent relaxing at home and doing activities together that we remember most fondly. Set aside some regular time with each other. Just one day per week or per month when the entire family says no to other commitments and just hang out together.
This SG50, arrange a fun-filled weekend visiting all the attractions and events that are just free for the Jubilee weekend. Don't like crowds? Have a movie marathon at home, play card games and board games, game together as a family. Have your own hotpot party at home - who says hot pots are only for Chinese New Year? If you failed to get tickets to the parade, and don't want to splurge on an expensive hotel room with a view, you can head to Marina Bay, lay out your picnic mats, and catch the fire works, just to name a few. Time passes quickly, and it helps to retain beautiful memories whenever you can.
Happy SG50 and happy holidays!
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