Spread the love and build networks
AS life slowly returns to normal after the long break, there’s one thing that will remind us that Raya is still around. It’s the much-awaited open houses by relatives, friends or even organisations.
This is the time to mingle and catch up with the important people in your life. They could be your long-lost cousins, childhood friends or even former suppliers and clients.
Whoever they are, one thing’s certain. Open houses provide a unique opportunity to rekindle relationships and build new ones. In the parenting context, it’s a golden opportunity to bring the bigger family closer together. Parents must find ways to take advantage of such events. One of the best ways is to get to know the relatives and create a new network.
This is especially true for the younger generation. The generation gap is now wider than before. With the advent of technology and urbanisation, relatives of different generations seem to interact less and less with each other. Young or old, they prefer to stay in their comfort zone, i.e. to stay within the confines of their peer groups whom they already know. Why, we might even be one of the culprits. We may visit a relative’s house but make little effort to get to know new people outside of our circle.
WIDEN OUR NETWORKS
This is a wasted opportunity as it’s not every day we have this chance to mingle with others who might not be such a distant cousin after all. All we need to do is smile and open up to them. Have a chat and see where it leads to. Chances are you’ll learn a thing or two about your own family clan.
Once you start the ball rolling, you’ll feel less awkward as other people begin to warm up as well. Remember, they may also be as nervous as you. Take the lead to break the ice.
While you are at it, don’t forget to rope in your children as well. Make it a point to introduce them to others. Don’t just ignore your children’s presence and let them be absorbed by their gadgets. Instead, encourage your children to stay offline for as long as possible. Get them to talk to the host and other guests. Challenge them to get to know at least three new relatives. It can be an exciting new adventure for them.
So there’s another reason to attend open houses beyond just enjoying the delicious spread. It’s a great avenue to widen our network, be it with relatives, friends and even work and business associates. All you need is a warm smile and a genuine desire to get to know as many new people as possible.
When you do, you’ll also be teaching your children a valuable lesson — that life is so much more colourful when we have many more people in our circle.