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Parents have the incredible job of raising the next generation. But with a great many significant responsibilities, parents have to go through the stress of making the right decisions for their children when they are young and ensure that they don't get hurt while encouraging them to explore life and the world. 

While we have always associated parents with joy, hope, stability, love, acceptance, and most importantly, home, they have had to shoulder the responsibility of being providers, caregivers, educators, and even our soundboards. It is only natural that we should dedicate at least a day to celebrate everything they did and continue doing for us.

So, what is Parents’ Day? In May, we celebrate mothers, and we dedicate June to fathers. However, it was in 1994 when President Bill Clinton had the idea to announce the fourth Sunday of July to celebrate National Parents' Day. He aimed to commemorate the role parents play in our lives and promote ideal parenthood. 

The question then arises, what do we do or give to those who have given us everything? Well, here are a few National Parents’ Day ideas that can help your loved ones, especially older parents, feel special.

Activities for Parents’ Day

1. Hold a Family Conversation

While we grew up, we somehow outgrew talking to our parents. They remember us from the time we could never shut up, and now there are days when we are unable to speak to them. National Parents’ Day is a great time to bring the family together and catch up with each other. This simple gesture will bring a lot of happiness to them, that you may want to make it a regular thing.

2. Share a Family Breakfast

Do you remember the last time everyone sat down at the table and shared a meal without having their eyes glued to a screen? If you don't, then it's been too long, and it's time you go ahead and share that meal with your parents. Since it's a Sunday, you can plan an elaborate brunch and enjoy spending quality time with each other. You can even arrange to cook together; the pancakes may not be as good as mom’s, but the memories will be unforgettable.

3. Make a Memory Book

As you grow older, it is the memories that count. Your parents probably keep repeating their favorite memories of you running around the lawn or even of your first day at school. Take the time to document such moments, and create a scrapbook combining all the important moments of their lives. Your parents will treasure this more than any other Parents’ Day gift.

4. Support Working Parents

Older adults who choose to work, even after retirement, deserve some rest. Doing something small that can help them out goes a long way in appreciating and encouraging them. 

5. Make sure their homes are safe

As our parents get older, they need more help and assistance around the house. However, their independence may not allow them to ask for it. Therefore, we must make an effort to ensure that the people who kept us safe are secure in their homes today. We can refer to home safety checklists, install assistive devices in their homes, purchase daily living aids and other special equipment such as a safe bedside step stool to protect them from falls and harmful incidents.

6. Create New Family Memories

I already mentioned the importance of memories to our parents. Keeping this in mind, you can create new ones this National Parents' Day. It can be something as elaborate as going for a family vacation or even a simple surprise party at their home.

7. Encourage Them to Be Fit

Post 60, our aging parents must maintain a fit lifestyle, and this includes exercise. A few simple, fun exercises can help improve our parents' balance while reducing the risk of falling and injuring themselves. You can plan a simple workout for them and encourage them to continue. If your parents are not up to it or have mobility issues, they can opt for exercises like chair yoga that has a myriad of benefits.

8. Praise Their Parenting

National Parents’ Day is for all parents. A simple gesture like complimenting and acknowledging them on how they have sacrificially raised you can make their day.

9. Show Appreciation for Your Family

We appreciate even the most minor things that strangers do for us, but we rarely appreciate what our near and dear ones do for us. Use this National Parents’ Day to thank your parents and appreciate everything that they have done for you. You can give them something that will help them in their daily living. For example, if your parents are having trouble with day-to-day tasks like climbing into bed or getting into the bathtub, you can gift them special step stools that not only make these tasks easier but also keep them safe from falling and injuring themselves. 

As Henry Ward Beecher states, “There is no friendship, no love, like that of a parent for the child.” We hope that this National Parents' Day is a memorable one for your parents as you plan wonderful celebrations to make them feel special and loved.

Here's wishing all the fantastic parents out there a Happy National Parents Day.