BY NORMA PADILLA-MURAKAMI
The elderly, often times, are forgotten; but how can we change this? It really is pretty simple, but it takes thought. As long as you are instructing and reinforcing a few simple steps, you can instill the importance of elderly care in your children.
Whether you are caring for aging parents, grandparents, neighbors, or the elderly from your church fellowship, teaching your children how to value life – whether it be young or old – is imperative. Try incorporating these ideas into your family routines.
Visit the Elderly: Be it at their home, an assisted living facility, or just down the hall in your own home, spend some time together. You can play card games, make a meal together, bake cookies, or pick flowers from the garden. Remember some of the things that they can no longer do, like raking leaves, changing light bulbs, and general housekeeping. Let your children see you do these things, as well as making phone calls, and including the elderly in your family outings. Teach them to slow down, and take a few moments to show they care.
I often think about a youth group from my church. Each Mother’s Day they host a tea, and every Christmas they put on a dinner theatre for the elderly. The youth decorate, serve, and are basically in charge of the events. This makes the elderly feel needed and appreciated. It shows they are not forgotten and left to feel lonely, but are valued by our youth.
Try incorporating some of these simple practices into your family or church as soon as your children are able to imitate what you do. Ensuring that the elderly in your life are not forgotten is a lesson in the value of life.
Norma Padilla-Murakami is a wife, mother of four adult children, and has six grandchildren. She is a former parenting class instructor with her husband, Tim.
