I recently moved into a highrise condo and my life changed.
I love it. One wonderful thing about the place where I now live is that instead of simply being doors off hallways, it feels like a community.
There is always conversation of some sort in the elevator and often you will see people gathered in the lobby simply chatting.
My son came to visit one day. He and his dad headed down the elevator for lunch. Afterwards he said that although he had lived in a condo for three years, never was one word spoken in the elevator.
So we live in a community, he lived in an apartment. So different.
Being part of a community is important for our children. It gives them a sense of belonging and they are safer when their neighbours know them.
Therefore, I was pleased to see that the theme for National Family Week this year is Strong Families, Strong Communities.
National Family Week was proclaimed an official week by the Government of Canada back in 1985. It was originally coordinated by Family Service Canada and is now run by the Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs.
NFW is known and celebrated by many nonprofit associations across the country but in my experience is not well known by other sectors of our communities. Do you know about it? National Family Week is celebrated Oct. 7-13 and is a great time for all of us in the public and private sector to help our families become part of their communities.
Family is the first community children experience. Babies know they are important when we care for their physical needs, when we also talk to them, sing to them and play with them. As they get older they need to know that we're glad they are part of our families.
We can also connect our children to their extended family. If they live locally, family celebrations, visits and dinners build a larger sense of community. When family are not geographically close there is the phone, Skype and old-fashioned snail mail.
As our children get older their circle of friends and sense of belonging to something larger than themselves grows as well. It's important to become part of the community.
Often the local health units hold opportunities for parents of infants to get together and meet and at the same time receive valuable information on caring for their babies. This is a great place to start and parents can maintain contact with each other and set up playdates. The babies will not be aware of the relationships with these other children but will sense they are part of a community of children and families. This will, of course, grow as they become mature enough to relate to other kids.
Once our kids are in school and starting to participate in extracurricular activities there are lots other ways to build a sense of community. Instead of just dropping your child off at an activity, you should become involved. Meet other parents and set up car pools. At the end of the season, arrange a potluck picnic in the park with all the families.
It's also a good idea to get involved in the school. Speak to the teachers and you will likely find a volunteer role that fits with your schedule and inclination and at the same time benefits the teacher. You will then become more aware of the community where your children spend their days. And when parents are involved in the school their children tend to do a bit better.
I would love to see more tangible recognition of National Family Week. Businesses, church groups, community organizations, sports teams can all come on board and have some kind of family activity during the week.
National Family Week needs to be recognized by all Canadians. What can you do to become a greater part of your community?
Kathy Lynn is a professional speaker and author of Who's In Charge Anyway? and But Nobody Told Me I'd Ever Have to Leave Home. If you want to read more, sign up for her informational newsletter at parentingtoday.ca.
