7 SAFE WAYS TO SPARK JOY INTO AN ELDER’S WEEK

You've clicked here and we can feel your love towards your parents. You want to keep them safe and social distance but you’re not ready for that to take a toll on their mental health. In honor of mental health awareness week, we have a few suggestions on how to cheer your parents up for each day of this week:

Watch your parents’ favorite movie

Get ready to be told that: “They don’t make movies like this anymore!” Enjoy the laughter; relish the comments; take delight in your mom gushing on how handsome Rushdi Abaza is in every scene. Even if you’re not keen to watch classics, consider it an education, and a great way to get closer to your loved one. Don’t know where to go past netflix? Here are a few movie suggestions to get you started.

Dig out the secret family recipes

Start rolling the Warag Enab [grape leaves]; get the meat out the freezer; sharpen your knives. Get ready to make your mamma proud, or get kicked out the kitchen. Either way, your efforts will be appreciated.

Tarab radio and gossip

Put the coffee on the stove, skip the sugar, blast Fairouz and get ready for laughs. When we say “gossip” we mean, a light hearted chat where you’ll get the best stories out of your parents: “Seedo how did you meet Sitto?” Or “Seedo, what life advice would you give me?” First, you’ll get inspired, and foremost, it’s an awesome conversation starter.

A socially distanced Friday lunch

Human connection is so important! Your parents and grandparents miss you, and we encourage you to reach out but we beg you to keep them safe! This is your chance to exercise social distancing rules or maybe just teach your grandma how to use the ipad you bought her three years ago that’s still in its box.

Game night

Get your George Qerdahi suit on and the trivia game going, or just keep it old school with Keeram and balloot. You may not win a million Riyals, but aren’t their laughs worth a more?

Tatreez, crochet, or any craft you can help your mom with.

Your mom may not be able to put the thread through the needle, or hold the crochet hook right, but you are here to help her and learn from her. Some studies suggest that crafts and creative projects help protect an elders memory, so this project is not only fun it is a great way to take care of an elder’s wellbeing.

Read out loud

Even if you don’t have the skilled storytelling abilities of Shahrazad, there is nothing wrong with reading stories out loud with your family. If in doubt, get your dad to start and I promise you his nostalgia will take on the narration for you.

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Please remember that if you are struggling to put a smile on your parents faces, maybe it’s time to call a professional for help. You can also call us on 012 6770001 and we will find a way to help you