Joseph J. Lam

I’ve done most of these with my parents, and they have pretty much always enjoyed them! I hope this helps you plan this (any) weekend with your loved ones.

What else? Please share your ideas below, especially if you have memorable trips/adventures with your parents.

20. Invite a friend (or several) and have them all bring their parents who speak the same native language to have dinner together. This way we can hang out with our friends and help our parents make new friends.

19. On special occasions like my birthday, I’ve taken the opportunity to set up a camera (phone or laptop camera is perfect) to record me interviewing my parents about what it was like to raise me and their own childhood experiences.

18. If one or both of your parents cook, you can even ask to make a dish with them while documenting the whole experience so you can learn/remember how to make the dish.

17. If you want to stay indoors, consider ordering something unique on a food delivery app either watching something together or having some new conversations around the dinner table with the Parents Are Human card game.

16. Alternatively, stream some older movies that are in your parents’ native language or culture to watch together and talk about.

15. Find a movie you’ve been wanting to see that you think your loved ones will also enjoy and watch it in theaters. My parents have especially loved 3D, immersive experiences.

14. If your parents are fans of animals or have a favorite animal, try to find a local farm that offers in-person experiences with their animals. My mom has always loved llamas/alpacas so we found one that let her hand-feed them. She was so happy.

12. If your parents are visiting and they aren’t familiar with the area, consider going on a guided walking, bike, bus, or boat tour together.
13. Treat your parents to a spa day, complete with massages, facials, and other treatments like bodywork, acupuncture, or chiropractor.

11. Take a class or workshop together. These can be to learn a skill you know your parents have been wanting to improve like painting, woodworking, knitting/crocheting, cooking, pottery, yoga, or a more introspective experience like a meditation or personal development class.

10. If it’s warm and not too windy, take them to a beach for a few hours to lay in the sun.

9. Maybe your parents are like mine and haven’t bought new clothes in forever. Take them shopping at their favorite store or just spend the day trying to upgrade that one jacket that needed to be replaced years ago.

7. If they like drinking, maybe take them to a beer, wine, whiskey, tequila, etc tasting.
8. Attend a community event together, like a local festival, artisan fair, or farmer's market.

4. Take them to a unique live performance show like a ballet, magic show, circus/acrobatics act, or a play/musical at a local theatre.
5. If they’re a sports fan, take them to a game.
6. If they have a favorite type of music or artist, take them to a live concert.

3. Look up some scenic hikes or nature walks in the area if you also want to get some exercise in. If your parents are active, consider renting bikes.

1. Take them to a museum with an exhibit they might be interested in (every museum has a monthly, sometimes weekly, free day on their schedule).
2. Botanical gardens are always a beautiful place to go for a stroll.

Most date-night ideas lists are made for couples. As my parents get older & I've gotten closer to them, taking Mom & Dad out on regular dates has become a non-negotiable. I couldn't find a good list of parent-date ideas, so I made one! Here are my top 20 tried & tested 🧵

Few questions get me as inspired as asking, "What if I only had a year left to live?"

How would your behavior change? It suddenly becomes so clear what direction to go in.

A few years ago my parents didn’t know how to copy/paste or download apps on their devices.

Yesterday I told my mom about how I’ve been using Duolingo for the past year to improve my Chinese.

Today she tells me that she already beat multiple levels. Progress 🥹

You will never know if the next photo you take with your loved ones will the last. Take more pictures with them.

There will never be a perfect person.

There will always be struggle.

You just have to pick who you want to struggle with.

Oop didn’t realize videos aren’t supported on here yet! When is that coming out?

I bet Spotify could use its data to predict relationship breakups before they happen, identify early signs of mental health challenges, and map out mood patterns over time, maybe with some additional user-reported data.

Would love to be able to do a wellness check on friends!

W + repost + forehead kiss + you’re doing amazing

One of the most priceless gifts you can give another human is the space to be fully themselves.

Unwavering non-judgment.

Marriage is not the goal. Playing the stay-together-forever game is the goal.

If you woke up this morning, have a roof over your head, clothes to wear, food to eat, water to drink, and people who care about you, you are one of the richest people in this world.

Xanadu Ummet Ozcan · Song · 2022

You’ve got to listen to this Mongolian Techno song: https://open.spotify.com/track/2ylpbsHqGUAv3za4JkyMgz?si=a84a2f08cf4745a9

After meditating 2x a day (doing TM) for the past 500+ days, there’s a certain feeling of “home” when I close my eyes, that’s distinctly different than the shut-eye for sleep.

It feels weighty, solid, yet comfortable, like a weighted blanket. My body now prefers stillness.

We can grow only as fast as we can forgive ourselves.