As I’m caring for my kids and my parents, I’m reminded of those little things, the habits, the practices, the mindsets that help us grow, no matter our age.
I see parallels in what I say to the young and elderly:
“Try something new, you don’t know what you don’t know”
“Writing things by hand will help with your memory recall”
“It’s ok to make mistakes”
“It’s good for you to take a break from your screens, move your body and go outside for some fresh air”
“What you focus on grows”
And well, I these are also all good reminders for me too.
Am I starting to sound like a broken record to everyone though?
Maybe, but I also think there’s an opening here. A new way of connecting across the generations, and it’s not just everyone collectively grumbling at me about my nagging.
It’s a way for us to discover ways to support each other, cheer each other on, experience something new.
Here’s each phrase again, with a connection activity:
“Try something new, you don’t know what you don’t know.”
Flip this to:
“Let’s each say or write down new things we’d like to do, learn or eat. We’ll put it in a jar and pick from it once a month to experience together!”
This can be a great way to get to know each other, try things people never even thought of, and to create safety to try new things.
“Writing things by hand will help with your memory recall.”
Flip this to:
“Let’s do a mini-interview to find out more about each other!”
Grandparents can interview kids and kids can interview grandparents. Questions and answers can be handwritten and placed into a folder for future reading.
“It’s ok to make mistakes.”
Flip this to:
“Let’s play board games.”
Traditional or collaborative board games will naturally result in mistakes or missteps during gameplay. Participants can express self-compassion and compassion for others to accept and move on from mistakes. This helps to foster a sense of safety around other mistakes that may happen in life, and to help people support themselves and others through them.
“It’s good for you to take a break from your screens, move your body or go outside for some fresh air.”
Flip this to:
“Before we get onto our screens, let’s decide on a timeline and get up to take a break together to go for a walk.”
It can also turn into something like: “I’m calling a dance break in 30 minutes!” or “Let’s make hot chocolate and share what we found out about xyz pop star in 45 minutes.”
There are so many options with this one!
“What you focus on grows”
Flip this to:
“I got journals for each of us! Let’s write a note about something we enjoyed or that we are grateful for from today. Let’s do this for a week and share with each other.”
This can lead to an ongoing daily practice.
What do you think? Will you try any of the above with your kids, your parents, or partner and/or yourself?
Do you have suggestions for flipping that nagging script into something more fun?
Raising the Next Gen
Raising the Next Gen is a podcast exploring modern parenting, teens, and family connection. Click here for the latest episodes and don’t forget to hit the follow button to get notified when episodes drop!
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