Parenting Your Parents

When it was asked to Mother Teresa, what should we do to spread peace in the world? she replied: 

“Start loving your family more”. Love begins at home.

This message says it all, but how we are going to implement this message to bring peace in the world is completely up to us. This message inspired me to write something on it and spread the word of Mother Teresa in my own way. You will get to know by the end of this article why I have chosen this completely un-common title. 

To attain our so-called important works of mundane routines, we have lost the essence of being with our parents. Communicating, spending priceless moments, and doing little things for them each day seems dispensable. To cut a long story short; it’s completely in our hands to take out time for them, not for them but for us, as they try to adapt themselves in every situation without letting us know what they actually want from us. 

Here are a few self-implemented tips to manage little things for your parents on a regular basis, whose impacts are certainly immeasurable:

Think like a parent for your parents

Recall all the mandatory things your parents do for you on a regular basis without fail for your ease, list them down on a piece of paper, and now it’s your turn to inculcate the habit of doing all the efforts for their ease. 

• Don’t forget to greet your parents each morning with a big smile on your face. This will make their day.
• If your parents are working people; analyze all the chores they do for preparation of the next morning like ironing clothes, polishing shoes and all the obligatory things which you should make sure to do which would release much of their work burden.
• Since childhood, I have seen my mother blessing us by saying good words and having peaceful thoughts when I used to leave for anywhere – especially for school in the morning. Now it’s our turn to repeat the same exercise when they are leaving home to go somewhere. This act is considered protection for them. 

Be a micro-observer

Parents are very good observers; and I have not understood till today how they get to know what we want, when we want and how much we want, but they unfailingly forget about their own personal necessities. Make sure you should not miss a single thing that is necessary to do for their well-being. 

• If they take any medicines; provide them on time. 
• Try and stay one step ahead of them to help them out – for example, if they tend to forget where they have kept their spectacles, place them in the right place where their sight can reach easily, so that they don’t get panicky while searching for their glasses at the time they need them the most. 
• Take care of them the same way they did for you growing up – ask them each night before going to your bed if they need a massage as per their need for example. 

Cook for your parents with great love 

Take out time each day and cook for them with a great amplitude of love and attention. This will reduce your parent’s burden of kitchen work too. Some things you can do is: 

• While you enter into the kitchen, leave outside every thought of yours which is disturbing or destructive.
• Bless each grain of food, with positive thoughts like how each grain of food is going to make your parents peaceful, happy, healthy, and connected to God. Make it a habit, and this activity will do miracles to your happy family life.  Even if you are making tea or coffee or getting them just a glass of water to drink; pour these vibes of infinite powers into it. 

Communicate with your parents regularly

The last and the most vital tip I wanted to share with you all is; speak to your parents each day. It is the only thing which they desire for, to be loved and cared for by their children. Mother Teresa once said: “The greatest suffering is to feel alone, unwanted and unloved”.

Knowingly or unknowingly we have isolated ourselves in such a way that we hardly get time to be with the most important people in our lives. It’s time to come out of our comfort zone and start living with parents.

• Do not postpone having conversations with them at any cost, and share with them each thing, as they are the people who are actually interested in our lives. 
• Listen to them when they are sharing something with you. They have so much to say.
• Do not forget to make eye contact with them. Making eye contact shows how much you respect the speaker and you are interested in listening to them. 

So, keep your cellphone and other so-called important matters of your life aside, and let’s surprise your parents with your undivided attention!