We all want to create wonderful memories for our children to look back on in years to come. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that you need a whole lot of money to do so.
Test yourself; think back to the days of your childhood and those that you remember the most.
Just like the quote from The Sheltering Sky: “How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood that is so deeply a part of your being you can’t even conceive of your life without it?” – Paul Bowles, 1949
Days like this are deeply ingrained into our psyche and have become a part of us. They may have been the days when you did the simplest of things and yet they have lasted. We have taken a look at how you can create memories for your children:
- Read a book together – this shouldn’t just be any book but one that your child has chosen. Read pages to each other, alternating. Spend maybe an hour a day doing this until you get to the end of the book and then sit and discuss it. Share your innermost thoughts and feelings with each other, relating them to the book. The book and the memories of it will remain.
- Create a special picnic – when the weather is perfect and you have some spare time, choose a quiet spot where you can picnic together. Maybe a clearing in the woods where the sun shines but no-one else goes. Make it traditional with a tablecloth to lay out the food on. As you share the food, talk together, make jokes and generally relax. This will be a picnic like no other.
- Go snow walking – depending upon where you live, you need to wait for a day when everything is crisp and white. Wrap up warm and explore the countryside. Look for animal tracks in the snow. Look in wonder at the frozen lakes but don’t be tempted to walk over them! Have a snowball fight and finish by building a snowman. Give him a name you will remember.
- Spend the day on the beach – either in your favourite sheltered cove or tucked up amongst the sand dunes. Make it fun. Playing games, reading books or simply relax and talk to each other. Build a family sandcastle, large enough for everyone to contribute. Stay until the tide comes in and then watch as it disappears under the waves.
- Cook together – to make this truly memorable, you need to really get the children involved. Even let them pick the recipe. This could be anything from chocolate cake through to something special for dinner or even the whole menu. Let them choose their favourites and if old enough, they can serve at the table.
The things that we remember from our childhood are often the most modest of things. However, they are times when we were close together, sharing and having fun. All it takes is a little time, some forward planning and those memories will flow.
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