A Brief Guide to Including Your Parents in Your Life

As the years pass and we enter adulthood, it’s easy for your relationship with your parents to degrade. Once they stop looking over your shoulder, you can quickly drift apart, particularly if you live on opposite ends of the country.

Source: Pixabay

Though you likely went through a phase where you wanted them at arm’s length, involving them in your adult life is a crucial part to maintaining your bond. To that end, we’ve compiled a few tips on how to achieve this whether they live next door or half a world away.

FAMILY GIFTS

1. Find Little Ways to Show You Appreciate Them

A little appreciation goes a long way to keeping a relationship strong and while we know it isn’t practical or economical to constantly be playing Santa Claus, we also know that a small gesture can mean a lot. A box of their favorite cookies might be all you need to make their day, but if you really want to go the extra mile, you might want to try a personalized product like one of our custom books for Mom or personalized gifts for Dad.

This custom book delivers a wonderfully heartfelt message – why your Dad or Mom is and has always been your hero. Personalize yourself and your Mom/Dad and choose 10 or 15 of their qualities (in the form of short poems) that you most admire. Making your parents feel like all their hard work did not go unnoticed is undoubtedly a big step towards bringing (and keeping) you closer together.

PERSONALIZE NOW

2. Eat Together Regularly

For those who may still be living at home, this is an easy one to start with. Sitting around a table together used to be something we did at least once a day. Nowadays, busy schedules and mobile devices have nearly made this practice obsolete, but we think bringing it back goes a long way to improving family ties without too much planning.

Raise the bar by cooking that meal together! Whether it’s a well-loved dish or something entirely new, this is an amazing way to enjoy each other’s company while you work towards a common goal: lunch!

RECIPIES TO COOK TOGETHER

3. Do a (Scheduled) Weekly Activity Together

Whether it’s a trip to the grocery store, a walk in a nearby park, helping out in the garden, or a class you’re taking together, scheduling a weekly or bi-weekly time-slot does tend to take the pain out of coordinating outings.

By removing the stress from the equation, the only thing left to decide is what to do with the time you’ve set aside for each other. Making this a habit guarantees that you are all prioritizing your relationship and are taking time to get to know each other again.

ACTIVITY IDEAS

4. Plan Special Outings with Them (and the Kids)

While regular outings are nice, it can be great to take the initiative to plan a real day trip somewhere with the folks, especially if they have been looking forward to spending some time with your kid(s).

Find someplace new to go for a picnic and have everyone bring something, check out a local museum or go all out and plan a weekend getaway. If you’re lost for ideas, printing out a set of our free customizable coupons (currently only available for Mom) – each one suggests an activity for you and her, giving you the excuse not just to bond, but have some fun as well.

SEE FREE COUPONS

5. Include Them in Meaningful Events in Your Life

This one might sound obvious, but in the hustle and bustle of daily life, we’re all capable of being a bit negligent in this department. Letting Mom and Dad know that their presence is desired at important events or celebrations lets them know they are still loved and needed.

Naturally, this also extends to any child(ren) you may have. Keeping them in your orbit also means keeping them in theirs, so don’t hold back on anything that will bring them closer (like a Hooray Heroes grandparent book, for example!). 

Whether it’s a walk in a nearby park, helping out in the garden, or a class you’re taking together, scheduling a weekly time-slot does tend to make regular meet ups pain free.

ALL GRANDPARENTS BOOKS

6. Call or Text Regularly

Another one that might seem far too simple to be on a list like this, the significance of staying in close contact via phone calls or text is often vastly overlooked.

And we do understand how easily the days can turn into weeks, but keeping Mom and Dad in the loop with a quick call or text can save you a lot of heartache at the end of the day. Upgrade that phone call to a video date (over coffee, perhaps?) to make it feel more personal!

GIFTS FOR PARENTS

7. Share Good and Bad News with Them

Equally as important as keeping them up to date on your achievements is doing so with any setbacks you may encounter in life. Not only are they a great source of support, they may also know a thing or two about how to handle said mishaps (more on that later!).

Of course, this is a two-way street you need to walk. Don’t forget to ask how they are, listen, and be sure to empathize with any difficulties they may be facing. Remember that some parts of aging are not fun and they may also need to vent every now and then.

MAKE THEM SMILE

8. Ask for Their Advice Every Now and Then

Now, before you sigh and walk away, let us explain. We know that parents can be full of… advice that they can’t help but fling in your general direction, but the truth is, sometimes they’re right.

At the end of the day, they’ve just been around longer than you. They don't know everything, but be sure to really listen before you decide they’re wrong. Besides, knowing that your experience is valuable to someone else gives them the sense that they are important to you. 

Particularly when it comes to something like parenting. We're sure they've got some good advice to give... or, if not, you're free to take some of ours instead!

ADVICE FOR NEW PARENTS

PERSONALIZED GIFTS FOR MOM OR DAD

Looking for something special to show Mom and/or Dad how much they mean to you? In that case, you might want to check out our: 

👨‍👧‍👦Books for Dads

👩‍👧‍👦Books for Moms

🧩Personalized Puzzles

🖼️Personalized Pictures with Frame

🖍️Free Printables for Moms, Dads, Kids, Couples and Even Pets

HOORAY HEROES BOOKS