making memories

12 Little Known Ways, To Make Magical Memories With Your Children

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“It is not enough to give what we have; we must also give what we are.”

It is during the most mundane part of our day, that we find ourselves lost in the monotony of life. We wake up, we go to work, and we take care of the family in between. We repeat this vicious cycle: Wake up. Go to work. Go home. Go to bed. Wake up. Do it all over again. Before you know it, the year has passed. Then two years zoom by. Astonishingly, the next thing you know, 2 years turns to 7. Eventually an entire decade flashes by!

As you sit there, reflecting over how the time has slipped away from you, and thinking to yourself,

“Where has the time gone?”

Before you have time to start mulling over your many regrets, missed opportunities, and failures, instead glance over at your growing munchkins! Sit there and observe every little intricate detail about them. Admire their growing little bodies. They are your life. They are your treasure. They are your most valuable possession! Savor this life!

Parents, do not allow the weight of the world to poison you! Eh! We have daily battles. Much to our dismay, our little rugrats can become a nuisance, compounding to our ever present stress. Additionally, we become burdened with bills and problems. Every day the stress snowballs out of our control. Consequently, during these trials, we fail to realize that our children just want to play with us. They don’t understand job layoffs, divorces, and other adult catastrophes. Children want to know they are loved and protected.

Therefore, rid yourself from the urge to solve all of life’s problems overnight, and just spend time with your children. If there is anything I know for sure, it’s that children will remember whether you had time for them. My parents were dirt poor and yet they always made time for us. Furthermore, it didn’t matter to me one bit that we lived in an efficiency rather than a fancy house. It mattered to me that my mami always figured out how to have a hot meal for us. Even when she had to use a propane tank to cook our meals. Yes! A propane tank! Lord knows I am thankful for frijoles y tortillas. I’m a proud frijolera!

Loving parents are never too PROUD to do whatever it takes to PROVIDE for their children. Laboriosly, they research for how to retrieve the things the family desperately needs. God just blesses parents with that cadaver dog instinct. It’s in their DNA. They can find all of their needs. They make a way! Therefore, do not worry about the upcoming winter and all of the seasonal stress, and the bills. Do not panic because the kids are growing like weeds and need new clothes. Rest easy in the knowledge that everything will be ok. It always is. Christmas will be here before you know it, and if you just REMEMBER these 12 ways to make magical memories with your children, it just might relieve some of that seasonal stress.

  1. Learn Together- Help them with School Work And Or Homeschooling
  2. Worship God Together- At Home, Church, In the Car, Anywhere
  3. Devotional Times- Family Prayers, Reading Bible Together, Studying & Discussing The Word Of God, Memorizing Scriptures
  4. Playing- Watching the children play, and or joining them, Build Forts, Castles, Pretend Play
  5. Singing- Music is magical! Let them sing. Sing with them. Invite the neighbors too!
  6. Gardening- Grow things together: Plants, Veggies, Fruits, Flowers, whatever!!!
  7. Eating- Eat together as a family. For a more magical memory, set the table and enjoy dinner at the family table together.
  8. Read- Read books to them. Let them read books to you. Read books to each other. Invite the grandparents to read to them. Record those memories on video and make it a family keepsake/heirloom.
  9. Current Events- Have conversations with your children about what is going on in the world. Let’s bring up kids who give a damn! They really are our future.
  10. Movie Night- Family Flicks & Popcorn Night (My personal favorite and one I plan to implement weekly this year)
  11. Baking/Cooking- Cook together. Bake together. And teach them to share with the less fortunate. Feed someone who is hungry.
  12. Start A Family Business- Teach them about budgeting money, finances, and being good stewards.

Now, don’t fret about tomorrow my friends. Worry only about today. God Be With You!

The more love we share with everyone, the more loveable we become

Quotations Taken From:

Anthony, Robert Dr. THINK BIG, A Think Collection, Berkley 1999

5 Simple Ways To Preserve & Pass Down Our Culture To Our Children

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  1. CONVERSATION Have your children talk to their aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Some of my own fondest memories are candid conversations that I had with my father. Many of my beliefs have been formed and shaped simply from the talks that I remember having with him.
  2. READ Read to your children, and let them read to you. Intentionally pick out books that they can relate to. Choose books that educate them about their own culture.
  3. RESEARCH Go on the internet to search for information about your own culture. My daughters and I love to do this and often find ourselves diverted on several rabbit trails. It’s fun and educational. Anything from articles to YouTube videos.
  4. PROMINENT PEOPLE Study prominent people with your children. Are their people in your own family that played important roles in history? Perhaps a grandparent fought in a war. Interview them and make a video for the family keepsakes. Whether war stories, or just ramblings of their own childhood memories…these are the words that influence and impact our children.
  5. WRITE Have your children reflect and write their memories and experiences. I can recall my parents taking me to Mexico to visit my grandparents when I was only a child. Many of my ideas for writing have come from that trip alone. The featured image up above, is of my abuelitos (my paternal grandparents) from Mexico.

What other ways can you think of to pass down and preserve our family history?

Contact me at:

candidchicana@gmail.com

dstatam63@bethelu.edu