On November 19th, International Men’s day is celebrated. However, you may not have seen any greeting cards or store discounts for that matter celebrating today. One of the reasons for this is probably men make poor discount victims! However, the real reason why you all should be celebrating International Men’s day this year is that you deserve it!
But unlike other Hallmark holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s day, this is not a day you are meant to relax and get pampered. Today is all about you – your health, your family, and your happiness. And so, this year’s theme for the day is ‘Celebrate men and boys’. As the website states,
Objectives of International Men’s Day include a focus on men’s and boy’s health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting positive male role models. It is an occasion for men to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular their contributions to community, family, marriage, and child care while highlighting the discrimination against them.
So, here are 21 things in line with the objective and I believe you all should start doing these from today
21 things to do this International Men’s day
1# Make breakfast for the entire family.
2# Call your best friend from school to whom you have not talked in years. Ask him if he is alright.
3# Don’t drink/smoke today.
4# Play your favourite sport with your buddies.
5# Go and meet your mum and dad. Give them at least an hour without checking your phone.
6# Wash your car with your kids.
7# Have a really healthy lunch. Set an example for your children.
8# Build something with your kids, even if it is just Lego.
9# Teach your 10-year-old how to iron a shirt properly, and under supervision.
10# Whatsapp at least 5 people to whom you have not spoken in the past 3 months. See if they reply back.
11# Don’t check your work email today. It’s a Sunday.
12# Sweat it out at the gym.
13# Get some alone time with your wife and talk about stuff you used to talk about before the kids.
14# Make a list of 3 people in your life with whom you can speak freely, about anything that is bothering you. This is your support group and may or may not include your wife, and that’s okay.
15# Teach your son an activity you used to do as a child, like flying a kite.
16# Start getting involved in the lives of your children if you have not already done so.
17# Give your brother a call. See how he is doing.
18# Read at least 15 pages of a book you like.
19# Stop discussing women with your buddies. Instead, discuss philosophy, sports, or even politics.
20# Dress up for dinner and take your family to someplace fancy.
21# If there is something on your mind, if a thing is bothering you, if you are frustrated but have it all bottled up, speak to someone. Sometimes it is the hardest thing to do, but there is only this much pressure you can handle before it starts manifesting in other forms, like anger. You don’t want that.
Passing thought on this International Men’s day
Dads, men’s health is often ignored. We have a shorter life expectancy, and we shorten it even more by abusing our bodies with cigarettes, alcohol, and junk food. We never discuss our true feelings as we think this makes us look vulnerable. And we end up setting an example for our sons to follow. This has to stop.
The definition of being ‘manly’ has changed from someone ‘who knows what he wants to someone ‘who knows what he feels’. So, these 21 things are going to help you have better conversations with your family, and at the same time, concentrate on yourself.
Also, read Quality time with kids is more important than productive time