It’s all about your family! My Family Weekend is a new initiative by Families for Life Council to celebrate family time with your immediate family and extended ties.
Between juggling our hectic schedules and daily commitments, it’s easy to forget the important things in life.
Take the opportunity of My Family Weekend to make time for your entire family and gather for something meaningful. Extend the love beyond the walls of your home too and take your grandparents, relatives and other extended family members along!
Happening from Thursday, 31 August to Sunday, 3 September 2017, My Family Weekend is packed with many memorable events and activities for all family members to spend quality time with each other. With performances, family workshops, the signature Families for Life Picnic and much more happening over My Family Weekend, there will definitely be something for everyone in the family. So, gather the entire family and join My Family Weekend as we celebrate families together!
To find out more about the activities at My Family Weekend and to register now, please go to http://bit.ly/MyFamilyWeekend2017
In addition, Our Parenting World is pleased to share an article contributed by Claire Nazar, Families for Life Council Member where she shared about the creative ways to engage and nurture strong bonds with extended family members, and why it is important to remain close-knit with the extended family.
Tips to strengthen extended family relationships
For most of us who are old enough, the word ‘family’ in our grandparents generation had a strong “kampong” spirit attached to it. Family, more often than not, referred to the immediate family members, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and even neighbours.
Today, the notion of family is more often inclusive of only the immediate family and in-laws for those of us who are married. While it is apparent that family sizes are becoming smaller, it is important that we do not lose sight of our most critical support network – that is our immediate and extended family ties.
Strong family relationships, and even more so extended family ties, can provide that emotional support we each need in our lives. A strong, resilient family ensures that we have a pillar of support to fall back on when we encounter tough situations.
For those of us who are fortunate to have forged strong ties with the extended family, it is the biggest support system each individual could own.
Family relationships take effort and time to nurture. My Family Weekend initiative is a great opportunity for all of us to reconnect, re-engage and rebuild the kinship we share with our extended family members.
With the busy life families lead these days, connecting on an intimate level, especially with the extended family is challenging. Here are some simple ideas to reignite the conversations with our extended family members:
- Make a date, be deliberate, and set aside time to come together to have a meal as an extended family. Whether it is a special occasion, festive celebration or a weekly family affair, the laughter and chatter among extended family members reassure each and every one that they are making the most out of that moment. If you’re looking for ideas to gather everyone for a meal, find out more about the Families for Life “My Family Weekend” Picnic on familiesforlife.sg
- Making extra to go around the extended family. Sometimes it can be tough to find time to meet up with extended family when you are working towards spending more time with your own immediate family members. Why not make extra if you are baking a cake or making cookies as a family activity, so that you can bring some over to your extended family members? Simple enough gift to show that you care and are thinking of them.
- Sharing responsibilities: As with sports or other shared activities, it is important to efficiently and effectively divide roles and responsibilities for the specific family activity. Establishing these roles from the beginning ensures that everyone is aware of their contribution to the team and will work together to achieve a common goal.
- Invite extended family members to celebrate moments in our lives: Whether it is a graduation ceremony, 60th birthday celebration, or a wedding, invite your grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins so every family member can be a part of it. With the wonders of technology and social media these days, a photo of the extended family can last forever as a fond memory to reminisce!
- Working out together: A good family workout not only allows everyone to reap these benefits but also strengthens ties and contributes to the overall well-being of the family.
About My Family Weekend Picnic
My Family Weekend Picnic creates the opportunity for the extended family to get cosy with loved ones and bond over fun, laughter and conversations. Families are encouraged to pack picnic baskets with their family members’ favourite food for an evening of family-friendly activities that will keep everyone entertained and engaged.
Gather your cousins, aunts and uncles to complete the game challenges and win tokens to redeem old school treats from the FFL “Mama Shop” or team up with your grandparents and put your dialect skills to test at the Happy Conversations Corner. In addition, there will be a Family Portrait Outdoor Shoot for the entire family to walk away with fond memories at our Families for Life “My Family Weekend” Picnic. Families can also look forward to activities such as music performances, bouncy castles and family games, and a movie screening under the stars.
Register now as a family on the Families for Life website to receive a Families for Life goodie bag (on a first-come-first-served basis, and while stocks last).
