We all have holiday traditions we remember from our childhood. While many of those traditions can be carried on into adulthood, it’s also important to remember that many of them will change over time. As kids and parents grow and change, so do our traditions. As kids become adults and have kids of their own, we establish new traditions to include everyone in the celebrations. It’s equally as important to create new traditions that include ageing parents and grandparents.
Make This a Holiday Seniors Won’t Forget
As the holiday season approaches, think about ways you can adapt your traditions to include the whole family. Here are a few ways you can make the holiday season extra special for the seniors in your life.
Become the family chef
If your loved one usually hosts family dinners at their home, offer to host at your house instead or offer to take care of all the cooking at their home. Reducing their workload will allow them to spend more time with everyone and truly enjoy themselves.
Do your holiday baking together
If the seniors in your life typically bake up big batches of treats for everyone on their own, offer to join in on the fun this year! Baking is a great intergenerational activity and is the perfect way to get the kids involved too. Put on some holiday music and gather your baking crew in the kitchen to work together.
Offer to shop together
Shops and malls can get super busy at this time of year, which can make it more difficult for seniors to get around efficiently when they’re holiday shopping. Offer to lend a hand, either by offering to run errands and do some shopping for them, or going shopping with them. It’s much more fun (and efficient) to make shopping a team activity.
Decorate together
It doesn’t truly feel like the holiday season until those festive decorations are up! This year, offer to lend a hand and decorate their home. Put up the tree, dig out all their favourite ornaments, and get ready to have fun! If they aren’t able to put any decorations up on their own, ask them to tell you where they want certain items placed so they’re really able to enjoy their favourite pieces during the season.
Take care of their holiday cards for them
Many seniors have a tradition to send out holiday cards to friends and family. However, if they have a long list of cards to write out, it can get pretty tiring. Offer to sit and write them all out for them, so they are still part of the process. After you’re all done, offer to pop them in the mail as well.
Adjust your outdoor activities
If you usually go for long walks to look at lights, change up the routine a little to accommodate for seniors who have mobility issues. For example, you could offer to go on a drive to look at several different light displays or find one that doesn’t require as much walking.
Get involved in their new traditions
If your loved one has moved into a senior living community, get involved in the holiday activities there. It’s a great opportunity to meet their friends and the staff they see each day. At Bria Communities, we have a host of holiday events and activities for residents and their families. Friends and family are always welcome to join in on the celebrations and when they do, it makes everything much more fun!
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