Apparently back in 1994 Bill Clinton made the fourth Sunday in July a  Special Day. Different countries have different dates

I just discovered that here in the United States it is ‘Parent’s Day’ on July 24th. Huh?

So….Ok then I started looking for quotes on parenting…parents…parenthood and here’s what I found:

“When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice safe playpen. When they’re finished, I climb out.” ~ Erma Bombeck

“Like all parents, my husband and I just do the best we can, and hold our breath, and hope we’ve set aside enough money to pay for our kids’ therapy.” ~ Michelle Pfeiffer

“Raising kids is part joy and part guerrilla warfare.” ~ Ed Asner

Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories.  ~John Wilmot

Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.  ~Robert Fulghum

If you have never been hated by your child you have never been a parent.  ~Bette Davis

The most important thing that parents can teach their children is how to get along without them
– Frank A. Clark

A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for
– Anonymous

Sing out loud in the car even, or especially, if it embarrasses your children.  ~Marilyn Penland

To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today
– Anonymous

My own thoughts on parenting are to create memories. Children won’t remember how clean the living room looked as much as they will remember the activities and the fun they shared in there. They won’t remember how many days the dishes were in the sink as much as they will remember how they would sit on the bench and help you make cookies…etc. Make memories for and with your kids…

I love embarrassing my kids. I believe it helps with memory making. While driving with one of my children a number of years ago, I asked him “If I died before you had children, what would you tell them about me?” He took a little while to think about it and then replied “I would tell them you thought you were funny.”  After I told him he was a cheeky devil I smiled to myself.

This is the same boy who is now 14, that I now have a ‘secret handshake’ with….although he denies it profusely. Here’s how it came about; we had been at the emergency room getting his broken finger checked out and were now in the car park waiting for our ride home to arrive. While out there waiting somehow we got onto the subject of handshakes and showed me one that has a flourishing ending. From that moment on I have made comments about our ‘handshake’ or when there is a reason that I am touching his hand because he’s showing me something or handing me something, I grab his hand and pretend to do the ‘handshake’. He quickly pulls it away and with a big grin makes a comment to the effect that I’m dreaming and we don’t have a handshake. It’s now become part of a memory that he may pass on to his children and hopefully one day create a secret handshake with one of his teenage children.

So back to Parent’s Day. I thought we as parents have been already taken care of with Mother’s Day in May and Father’s Day in June. It just seems we’re getting a bit greedy. I say let’s make Parent’s Day all about our kids because without them we wouldn’t be parent’s anyway.

What things do you do to create memories with and for your children?

Read more fun memories (or embarrassing moments) I’ve created for my children

Learn about Parent’s Day around the world

Another 4th in July was written by Wendy who recently moved to USA (from Australia) with her family. Meet Wendy.

Our next Guest will be Patty Beecham.