The millenial’s 2018 New Year’s Resolutions List will be all too cripplingly familiar for many; less wine o’clock, more gym time; less swiping right, more settling down; more pull ups, less put downs; and so on and on.
Probably less likely to find its way onto the list, though, is a pledge to keep up more regular contact with the beloved senior figures in our life. Though whatsapping and facebooking makes constant contact easier than ever, all too often we dedicate our busy thumbs to matters innocuous – we approve of cat videos and express dismay at the inevitable stupidity of Donald Trump, but rarely do we make it our mission to call our folks with anything nearing regularity. Well, we here at IDEAL say a promise to prioritise our parents should sit top of the resolutions this year. With this in mind, here are 5 IDEAL reasons to call your mum and dad today.
TO ASK HOW THEY ARE
Any conversation with a parent tends towards discussion of the children’s pursuits, problems and plans. What we often neglect is to return the interest. Don’t assume your folks have nothing of note going on in their lives; life begins in retirement after all. There’s wisdom to learn and anecdotes to enjoy that only a life’s worth of experience can bestow, so do what sometimes feels unnatural in the child-parent relationship, and just listen.
TO TAP INTO THEIR EXPERTISE
Knowledge is something only truly accrued through maturity and practice, so trust in your parents to provide the best advice around in times of strife or ignorance. Rather than consulting endless online recipes, for instance, pick up the phone and give mum a call for that secret family lasagna. Even if it’s terrible, she’ll appreciate the contact and the brief opportunity to play Nigella.
If you’re on the road and in a pickle, rest assured that new research from Dayinsure has revealed that two thirds of young drivers prefer to call their parents than a registered breakdown service. Reasons ranged from the more serious (having an accident) to the downright silly (hitting a low flying pigeon). One driver even forgot where they were going and had to ring their Mum to remember. But the consistent theme was this; parents are nonjudgmental and enduringly helpful when it comes to relying on them for car issues.
TO SAY I LOVE YOU
Although we may think it’s obvious, or we wrote it in our Christmas card so there’s no need to vocalise repeatedly, in our view those three words can never be delivered enough. It may seem easy, flippant even, to say it to your partner, but for some reason, it becomes more of a block when speaking to your parents. Don’t let it be this way, say I Love You today.
TO APOLOGISE
We all know the score. Christmas drinks were consumed with an abandon you thought you’d left behind at university. Family tensions and sibling rivalries repressed for the rest of the year reemerged with reckless abandon. Things got said. The New Year signals a fresh start, so if you’re one of the many who caused unnecessary offence over the festive period, pick up the phone now and say sorry. Nip simmering resentment in the bud and start 2018 with positivity in mind.
TO SAY THANK YOU
They brought you into this life. They tolerated endless crying and whining, and changed your nappy without flinching (yes, we did say Christmas was boozy this year). They made you who you are today and for that you owe them a show of appreciation from time to time. Always remember to say thank you and if you haven’t been sufficiently grateful recently (we’re all guilty of it sometimes) then give them a call today.
