This past Saturday my mother’s side of the family had their
annual family picnic/reunion and as always it was so much fun. All the cousins pitch in despite their busy lives and the some how the event always comes together. We play games, we have piñatas (for
the kids and for the aunties & uncles), everyone brings side dishes and one
of the cousins does the grilling. We have a trivia game on the history
& stories of the Guerra family and it is truly a great way to learn about
our family. Each year new stories are added and each year we get to hear more
about our grandparents and our aunts & uncles as well as stories about the first set of
cousins.
I remember when I was kid I always loved to hear that there was going to be
a gathering of the Guerra Family. I loved to listen to my aunt & uncles and
watch them laugh and tell stories. I had fun playing with all of my cousins. It
was always a great day when there was a Guerra Family event.
It was no wonder that when my kids came along I could not
wait for us to be around the Guerra Family however, most of the family had
grown and with our grandparents passing the events stopped happening. However,
due to the fact that I have some pretty awesome cousins we were able to work
together and we began having family picnics/reunions once a year. My children were still small so they were now able to enjoy these events just as much as I did as a child. It even came to a point that they would begin to ask when is there going to be a Guerra family party? There for a
while we all got busy with life and the annual events stopped once again however, about four
years ago the cousins came together again and we were able to started-up the annual picnic/reunions again! And, my kids still look forward to coming and hearing all about their family!
Now what does that all have to do with single parenting you
may ask? Well it was an awesome way for me to help teach my children where they
came from and it was a great way for me to introduce them to their family. For me it was a way of showing my kids that they come from
an even larger family then just us. When my kids dad & I first separated my son had such a hard time
understanding that we were still family, he felt that without his dad it mean we were no longer a family and he would tell me this! So the events were just one
way for him to see that families come in all different sizes and shapes (more
on this subject on another post)!
Due to work my daughter has been
unable to attend for the past couple of years due to work and is always upset that she can't make it. She always waits till I come over to show her pictures and tell her the
stories of went on that day. My son loves attending and always enjoys himself he says he can't get over hearing all about everyone in his family!
By being at the events my kids learned a lot about their family and where they came from and how strong they are by hearing how strong their grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc... have been! My kids have been around not just the Guerra family but we have have non-blood family members that are just as important to them as their natural family members. They have aunties and grandmothers who have shown them how strong they are therefore it has helped to shape them! Our families
whether they are our are blood families or our families we have created help to grow and shape our children. It does not matter if our
children come from a one parent family or a two parent family they still learn about
family. They learn a little about themselves and about where they came from. They will look up to that family and to those adults as
well. Help your children have a good sense of who they are and where they come
from keep family around them and if need be then create the family that they
should have!
Do you have family to help surround you and your children?
If you do not have cousins and grandparents around or some that you would
prefer not having them around your kids (which happens). Then what and how are
you creating a family for your kids?
And, so it goes…
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