What’s the greatest gift that life can give you?

As you ponder an answer to that question, here’s a hint. August 11 is National Son and Daughter Day. Many consider their children their greatest gift. As Angela Schwindt said, “While we teach our children about life, our children teach us what life is all about.”

So, whether your children are young or grown-up, take today to spend some extra time with your children to let them know how special they are to you. Learn more about what matters to them. Build some new memories with them. “Children are like wet cement: whatever falls on them makes an impression.” Haim Ginott

If you’re having “issues” with your kids and there’s some emotional distance between you and them, consider making today the day that you make an effort to bridge that gap and start the process of reconciliation – before it’s too late. We’re all familiar with situations where parents didn’t take action to try and reconcile the differences with their children before some tragedy struck. Don’t be in that position, where you have to live a life of regret. As Anthony Horowitz said, “There are problems and there are children. It is our aim to separate the two.”

Maybe you think this day doesn’t apply to you because you don’t have any children. Well, you would be wrong. If you’re in that position, then this day is for you, too, because you are someone’s son or daughter. It’s an excuse to treat yourself special today. Also, you may have heard the expression, “It takes a village to raise a child.” So, there are plenty of opportunities to mentor children who could flourish with your love and support.

There are a lot of National Days that recognize different things. We wondered how, and when, did National Son and Daughter Day get started. The earliest record of it is in 1936 when J Henry Dusenberry, from Missouri, heard a boy asking why there was a day to celebrate moms and dads, but not children. Maybe you’ve heard your kids ask the same thing! He proposed the idea in his state. People liked it, and the idea started to spread. Today, we’d say, “It went viral.” A few years later, he wrote an article in a newspaper where he said, “Setting aside a day for the child means honoring the three sides of the family triangle.”

In 1972, a Florida congressman tried, unsuccessfully, to get National Son and Daughter Day to be added as an official holiday to the National Calendar. Even though National Son and Daughter Day remains an unofficial holiday, it still seems worthy of remembering it. As Herbert Hoover said, “Children are our most valuable resource.”

With all the troubles that are going on in the world and society today, it’s easy to lose sight of what is most important to us. We can neglect to spend quality time with our children no matter how young, or old, they may be. So, what fun activities can you do with your children? If you have younger children, remember the words of Fred Rogers, “Play is often talked about as if it were relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of children.”

Board games can appeal to kids of all ages. Having a picnic together at a park, or your backyard, can be fun. It all depends on the age, and interests, of your family. “Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate.” – Anonymous

We are reminded of this recently when we attended a memorial service for a dear aunt of ours who died at the age of 102. She and her husband were terrific role models to their four wonderful children. The service was a testament to the positive impact those parents had, not only for their children, but also for their grandchildren as well. The words spoken by them from the heart showed how the good examples, lived by the parents, stuck with the children as a key part of their lives. That’s something worth imitating!

What about you? What can you do to celebrate National Son and Daughter Day? No matter what you do, the goal of National Son and Daughter Day is to let children know how thankful you are that they’re part of your life. As Lady Bird Johnson said, “Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.” So, make sure your children, and those you mentor, understand what a gift they are, how much you appreciate them, and how proud you are of them.

Chanhassen MN residents, Doug and Lynn Nodland are success coaches and owners of The Balance Center in Excelsior. Contact them at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2022 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.