In 2000, President William Jefferson Clinton proclaimed October 8th as National Children’s Day, but in June, 2001 his predecessor George W. Bush proclaimed June 3 as National Children’ Day. Since then, no one specific national day of celebration has been set in the United States, but National Children’s Day has generally been celebrated in communities and states across the country either on October 8 or on the second Sunday each June.
While across the world Children’s Day, or some version of it, is celebrated during various days of the year, the message of the day remains the same: Take time to stop and honor children.
So whether you plan on celebrating National Children’s Day on October 8 or in June, what’s important is that you take extra time to stop, celebrate and honor the children in your lives.
You can do this by:
- Giving your child a thoughtful card
- Making your child his favorite meal
- Looking through photo albums that journal your child’s life
- Plan a community wide celebration with kid-friendly activities
- Talk about wants and needs and recommit to supplying your child’s needs
- Support a local children’s charity by donating gently used clothes or toys
- Do something, anything, special together.
While most parents take time to appreciate their children each day, setting aside a special day to honor and celebrate them communicates that we value them enough to commit an entire day to doing just that.
Do you celebrate National Children’s Day? How have you honored your child?
