Making happy memories with your family in a difficult year
This year has been full of interruptions to normal life and forced us to make changes that can be both upsetting and disappointing. Many of the events and activities that we celebrate with family and friends have been canceled or had to be done in totally different ways to maintain social distancing. Adults and children alike have struggled to find the positive.
As parents, one of our roles is to help our children become resilient in the face of adversity. We hear a lot about children being resilient, but not a lot is said on the role that adults play in helping them develop resiliency. One way they learn is through watching the adults in their lives handle problems and our responses whether verbal or physical to disappointments. Being aware of our role can help us to “mind our manners,” as well as give us an opportunity to be creative and turn the lemons of this year into sweet and tangy lemonade.
Since many of our regular activities and events are not happening this year, why not take some of our newly found free time and make some happy memories by making a movie? Making a family movie creates an atmosphere of excitement and something new. It can stimulate creativity and open dialogues for family discussion. Looking back at past videos and home movies can remind your family of how far you have come or of the good times shared. Even the mishaps can become happy memories when taken in stride. Since almost everyone has a phone with a camera and there are many free video editing apps, making a movie has never been easier to do.
For one of our daughters’ birthday parties we made a movie as part of the entertainment for her slumber party. Since we did not have a huge budget for the kids’ parties we always tried to do something that would make a memory for our kids and their friends. We decided that making a music video would be a fun and novel activity for Jolie and her guests.
Videoing the kids and editing the clips cost us nothing but a little time and thought. Before they came we had gathered a few props and we asked them to come dressed for the theme. We did all of the filming when the girls first came over and then premiered the video the next morning. The videoing was done with our phones and we edited using iMovie on our computer. When Jolie’s friends were leaving, their party favor was a DVD copy of the video they had made.
Making a movie can be as simple as capturing a spontaneous music video or it can be a big production with sets and costumes. A theme can be used or maybe a lesson that you would want your family to learn together. Use a script or make it totally improvisation and see what your movie becomes. Parodies of popular songs or stories can also be an easy starting point.
Here are a few tips for how to get started:
• Choose a topic, song, story to enact, or totally make one up.
• Make a plan for the different scene shots you need to take.
• Using a tripod makes your filming steady, but you can use a moving camera for special effects.
• Decide how you will edit your movie. Editing is easy with free apps that can even be downloaded onto your phone.
• Respect copyrights. Give proper recognition to copyrighted materials.
• Remember to keep it fun and not stress. If everyone is yelling at each other the memory will not be something you want to keep.
For more ideas on ways to make a family movie and editing tips or to view our silly birthday video, visit my Facebook page, @ GarlandExtensionHomeLife. You can also visit our website, http:// www.uaex.edu, for information on fun and healthy activities you can do with your family or email acrane@uaex.edu.
4-H information
There are several 4-H Clubs for Garland county youths who are 5 to 19 years old. For more information on all the fun 4-H activities that are available for youths, call Carol Ann McAfee at the Extension Office at 623-6841 or email her at cmcafee@uaex. edu.
Master Gardener information
Master Gardener meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month through Zoom. They’re open to the public and guests are welcome. For more information, call the Extension Office at 623-6841 or email Alex Dykes at adykes@uaex.edu.
EHC information
Are you interested in joining an existing Extension Homemakers Club? EHC is the largest volunteer organization in the state. For information on EHC, call Alison Crane at 623-6841 or email her at acrane@uaex.edu.