I have these memories of my mom going all out on the holidays.
Regardless of whether is was a big holiday like Christmas, or a little one like St.Patrick's Day, it was something special.
The walls would be covered in cute holiday decorations, the table was set up and decorated complete with special paper plates, cups, and napkins. There was usually a special meal and little goodies for everyone.
Valentin's Day 2010 |
Even last Valentine's Day was saved by my mom after I totally dropped the ball, being the totally awesome parent that I am. Eh hem.....
Good thing I don't have any of it recorded so my kids won't remember me eating all their chocolate.
Wait....
Anyway, as I was contemplating what this month's "Play With Your Family" challenge should be, especially in light of it being "the month of love", my mind automatically jumped to all the cute family crafts or treats that could be made together.
Valentine's Day 2012 |
Then something completely different came to mind.
Every once in a while my parents would put a chair in the middle of the living room and one by one we would all take turns sitting in it. While you were in the hot seat, everyone else would say something they liked about that person. It couldn't be a physical feature (like eyes or hair) it had to be a character trait. It ended with us having to say something about ourselves that we liked.
I believe the idea was for us to notice the good in each other, to make our family bond stronger, while building self esteem in ourselves.
Because let's face it, the world today can be brutal when it comes to how we see ourselves.
And you know what I'm talking about. There isn't a single of one us that isn't beating ourselves up over something we don't like. And you know it's true, we are far more comfortable focusing on our weaknesses than our strengths.
Valentine's Day 2010 |
THIS MONTH'S FAMILY CHALLENGE is to SAY IT.
Share one thing about each member of your family that you like, including YOURSELF.
- You can do it in a family setting like I described earlier, a perfect Family Home Evening activity.
- If you have younger kids, write it down in a journal.
- If you have kids who don't live at home anymore, send them a letter.
- If it's just you and your husband, tell him, then look in the mirror and tell yourself.
Remember, it can not be a physical trait, but a character/personality one.
So, in this ever cheesy "month of love" don't forget celebrate the good things about yourself and those in your family.
Share your experience or any family Valentine's traditions by:
- Commenting on this post.
- Linking up below.
- Sharing on my Facebook page.
We're always looking for fun ideas.
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We are totally doing this tonight for FHE. Thanks for the great idea.
Serene....
What a neat idea!! ;)
"Because let's face it, the world today can be brutal when it comes to how we see ourselves. And you know what I'm talking about. There isn't a single of one us that isn't beating ourselves up over something we don't like. And you know it's true, we are far more comfortable focusing on our weaknesses than our strengths. ". True. Oh. So. True!! ;-D
--Raelyn
We do this sort of thing in our family, too. It's a great tradition!
=)
We did it for FHE a couple weeks ago. I just haven't blogged about it yet.
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