How to Make Every Holiday for Your Parents Unforgettable

First published in March 2018, updated on April 22, 2021 

“That’s what Cindy’s been trying to tell everyone… and me. I don’t need anything more for Christmas than this right here: my family.”

– Lou Lou Who (in the movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”)

 

Contents

1. Special Location
2. Favorite Food
3. Holiday decorations
4. Special Gifts
5. Music
6. Whole family together

 

Every holiday is a chance to shower your loved ones with warm words and creative presents. And our senior parents living alone may especially need this holiday spirit.

The question is how to create it. What is that secret ingredient that brings back the memories even after many years? The AllsWell team decided to find out the components of an extra special holiday.

 

Special Location

The place where a party is going to happen is of great importance for the overall mood of the holiday. The options are too numerous to list. Focus on what your parents want. Carefully ask them about their unrealized dreams or how they imagine an ideal holiday. Then just create this idea in the best way you can.

However, if you want to amaze your mom or dad with something extraordinary, we advise you to think outside of the box. For instance, you can do a themed party. We believe it’s easy to create unique characters for each family member while keeping the upcoming holiday in mind.

Another scenario is to undertake a joint adventure. This can be a family trip to Europe to see how other countries celebrate the same holiday or a road trip with dad’s old RV trailer to another city.

However, you should consider that the older generation is rather conservative. For them, the ideal option is probably to stay at home. And you also have to be ready for this scenario. This isn't terrible; it just means that you will create holiday spirit with the help of the following components…

 

Favorite Food

Order pizza! Joking. It’s just up to you and your parents to decide what dishes to have on the festive table. If your father's favorite meal is pizza, then why not? The primary condition is that everyone is happy with what he/she sees on the table in the end.

One more aspect is the process of cooking. You have to decide who's going to do the cooking in advance. If your parents are not able to cook on their own, then it’s better to order food from a good restaurant.

 

Holiday decorations

From the moment you see decorations, holiday cheer fills your body and mind. That’s why you should decorate the house carefully and with love. Find adorable little things that you always wanted to purchase but so far have denied yourself.

But there is another option that will give you a lot of fun times. Engage your parent in the process of making decorations. After all, what can be better than handmade things?

 

Special gifts

Pay attention to the present you will give your mother and father. It has to be something useful and appropriate for their age. Do not try to astonish them. Your parent will be happy just to get something as a sign of attention. Find more ideas in the article “Best Gift Ideas for Seniors 2018” to ensure your parent will be pleased with your present.

 

Music

Think about the music for the holiday night. It has to be in tune with everybody’s mood, satisfy the tastes of all present, and be adequate for the given holiday. If it’s Christmas, forget about rock. And if it’s a New Year's party, exclude carols from your party playlist.

 

Whole family together

Every single year is the same thing:

I can’t come – my cat is ill.

Sorry but I have promised my wife to spend time with her.

Getting to you is too complicated.

No! Say no to all these excuses and make them come together at least once in a year. A holiday is the perfect moment!

Call them all: your aunt from California, your cousins with their spouses who hate you. Tell them, “Come on, John, my mother will cook your favorite dish. That's worth coming for, isn’t it?”

Your elderly parents will be happy (we hope so!) to see the whole family finally together. There will be quarrels, shouting at someone's little children, and many more things that drive you mad. However, there will be even more laughter, smiles, good old family stories, and other similar things, after which you’ll rest until the next holiday.

If it’s hard for somebody to travel, bring the party to their house (but don’t forget to help with all the clean-up after the celebration). And if, for some reason, your loved ones have to spend the holiday alone, give them a call and let them know that you’re thinking of them.

And don’t forget to check up on their safety and wellbeing! After all, the pre-holiday rush may be a cause for some unfortunate falls, and spending the holiday on your own could feel especially lonely. 

AllsWell Alert is a great and unobtrusive way to monitor your loved ones’ safety. The app uses their smartphone to determine whether they're active and notifies the selected contact if there’s an emergency.

Try it for free and consider gifting yourself and your loved ones the peace of mind for the holiday season and the days beyond.