Life
Happy National Sons’ and Daughters’ Day! Don’t know what that is? Don’t worry. We’ve got the skinny on this darling holiday that falls on August 11. Have a son? Have a daughter? Love them to pieces? Of course you do. That’s why this holiday was invented, but more on that later. To get you in the spirit of this children-loving fete, post any one of these Instagram captions to celebrate National Sons’ and Daughters’ Day, because a hug just won’t cover it.
According to NationalDayCalendar.com — the internet’s go-to resource for obscure holidays — National Sons’ and Daughters’ Day traces its history back to 1944. That’s when the first published account of this event was noted in the St. Joseph News-Press/Gazette. Allegedly, a certain Mr. J Henry Dusenberry felt compelled to promote the holiday after overhearing a child ask why there wasn’t such an occasion. Go-getter that he was, Dusenberry sprung into action spreading the good news of National Sons’ and Daughters’ Day across Missouri and lo and behold, it took off. The annual event was commemorated by parents who placed “a flower representing each of their children in a vase and put the vase in a prominent room in the house. Throughout the day, parents thought about their children as they gazed at the flowers, especially those who no longer lived in the house.”
But you don’t have to limit your party to floral displays. Show your kids how much you love them by having a slip-n-slide competition, going for a hike, or simply reading a good book together. If anything, this day is just about taking a moment out to tell your children how much they mean to you. And if you can’t find the words, maybe some of these quotes will help.
1
“Children see magic because they look for it.” —Christopher Moore
Have you ever watched your child explore a garden? Gaze in wonder at a caterpillar? Or jump back in surprise at the sudden flitting of a hummingbird? There's magic in how they view creation. We should take note of that more.
2
“Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.” —Lady Bird Johnson
Whew! Lady Bird just dropped the mic. That quote really says it all. If a child feels they can do anything because their parents have supported and told them so, chances are they will.
3
"A person’s a person, no matter how small." —Dr. Seuss
We know it the first time we hold our babies, that we're holding a tiny important person. That's what this holiday is about. Recognizing that they are the future.
4
“If the day ever came when we were able to accept ourselves and our children exactly as we and they are, then, I believe, we would have come very close to an ultimate understanding of what ‘good’ parenting means.” – Fred Rogers
No one tugs the heart strings like Mr. Rogers and in this quote he boldly shares a truth some of us have a hard time accepting. As he used to say, "I like you just the way you are" may be one of the most important things we can say to our sons and daughters today.
5
"Even if people are still very young, they shouldn’t be prevented from saying what they think." —Anne Frank
Boy, does Anne Frank's thoughtfulness resonate today. The young Holocaust victim was wiser than her years and is a shining example of our need to hear our children rather than dismiss them.
6
"Teach your children they’re unique. That way, they won’t feel pressured to be like everybody else." —Cindy Cashman
One of my all-time favorite poems is "Kids Who Are Different" by Digby Wolfe. It talks about how some kids aren't going to fit in. They won't get perfect grades. They may look different. And every day we need to remind them that it's those differences that make them unique.
7
“The soul is healed by being with children.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Ain't that the truth? There's something about talking to a child that puts everything into perspective. Even in challenging times, the starfish hand pat of a little one on your back saying "Mama, it's going to be OK," suddenly makes everything seem alright.
8
"A child is not a vase to be filled, but a fire to be lit." —Francois Rabelais
Tiny little miracles, that's what children are. And with the right encouragement and love, they can do great things. You've just got to help them let their light shine.
9
"I tell my daughter every morning, 'Now, what are the two most important parts of you?' And she says, 'My head and my heart.' Because that's what I've learned in the foxhole: What gets you through life is strength of character and strength of spirit and love." —Viola Davis
What could be more important than reminding your children of their two greatest resources? Their head and their heart. That's the advice actress Viola Davis gives her daughter daily.
10
“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” —Albert Einstein
The greatest joy I get out of reading to my son each night isn't just the snuggles, though those are great too. It's the thrill of revisiting children's fiction which shouldn't be just for children at all. Kids invite us to use our imaginations. We should accept their offers more frequently.
11
“Pretty much all the honest truth telling there is in the world is done by children.” —Oliver Wendell Holmes
File this one under: Never ask your child how you look unless you're prepared for their answer. Honesty comes naturally to kids, for better or worse.
12
"Wyatt [my adopted son] is definitely all mine. Little souls find their way to you whether they're from your womb or someone else's." —Sheryl Crow
Parenting transcends biology. Helping your sons and daughters feel that love and care regardless is the foundation of building a supportive home. Sheryl Crow says that well here.
13
"Children are not only innocent and curious but also optimistic and joyful and essentially happy. They are, in short, everything adults wish they could be." —Carolyn Haywood
Oh to hold on to that innocence forever. We know we can't, but parents are lucky in that they get the gift of watching that innocent joy in action. And if they're really smart, embracing it themselves.
14
"Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them." —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
This quote cracks me up because isn't it the truth? Kids are constantly trying to explain things to us, much to their consternation. It's parents who really have no idea what's going on. The kids have all of this life stuff figured out. Just ask them.
15
"One thing I had learned from watching chimpanzees with their infants is that having a child should be fun." —Jane Goodall
The foremost expert on chimpanzees, Jane Goodall, spent years studying the animals in their natural habitat. Seeing their natural playfulness in action, she knew that our own connection with chimps was an indication of how much fun parenting should be. We'd do well to remember that.
16
"Children make your life important." —Erma Bombeck
The great humorist Erma Bombeck had it right. Children make your life important. Truly, who would we be without them?
