Mother’s Day picnic to encourage families to play together
WITH an increasing number of parents feeling the “too busy” pinch, and corresponding numbers of children sharing the sentiment, this Mother’s Day, local parenting network Jamaican Mommies is on a mission to remind and re-encourage families to play together through its Mother’s Day picnic.
Set for Sunday, May 13 at Hope Gardens, the event is being labelled an authentic day of play, and sets out to share fun family activities that can be used throughout the year to bring families closer together.
According to Shanoy Coombs, founder-editor of the Jamaican Mommies network and picnic conceptualiser, the concept was informed by parents who complain of always being “too busy”.
“When you ask the average parent in the Jamaican Mommies network what their biggest challenge is, many will say it is limited time or being too tired, too hurried, too busy,” she said.
“The reality is that with changing dynamics in the labour force and more single parent households, “too busy” continues to be a cry. However, while parents have supposedly forgotten how to play, children have not. Our aim for this picnic then is to help families achieve the balance of work and play time.”
To achieve this goal, the Jamaican Mommies picnic will feature fun family challenges which require teamwork and some coordination. Other activities will test endurance, and still others will touch on how much adults remember about childhood games. Essentially, the day will feature a fun line-up of activities for every member of the family, no age limits.
For those who just want to enjoy a relaxing Mother’s Day, there will also be a relaxation lounge with soothing music from the Whole Note Mento Band, massages, mommy and me makeovers, mini facials, a toddler care lounge, and much more.
