Spending Time with Family

With a lot of kids on Spring Break this week, this is the perfect occasion to spend time bonding as a family.  Some families take trips to tropical beaches or to Disney-like places while others choose a staycation of sorts. Whichever avenue you choose – incorporate the following into your time with the family!

1.    Choose activities that are inclusive of all family members – We have a large family where the children range in ages from 4 to 17.  Choosing activities that hold all of their attention spans is sometimes difficult but can be done.  Try places such as bowling, the zoo, museums, and parks to play kickball, baseball or basketball.

2.    Choose activities that limit screen time – Parents often will experience bonding magic when they interact with their children through old fashioned games and activities.  Try playing a family friendly card or board game. If the games are a little too difficult for the younger kids, have them pair up with mom or dad as a partner.  It is even fun to play a game of hide and seek or tag!  The little ones love finding the older siblings and the parents love to outsmart their kids!

3.    Choose activities that are low cost or free – and within your budget – You do not need to spend a lot of money to have fun with your family!  And if your kids think you have to spend a fortune to make them happy – then this would be the time to show them that love and fun should not be measured by how much money you spend on them

4.    Encourage older kids to interact with younger kids – You want your kids to make memories with each other so encourage the older ones to play with the younger ones during activities.  I love seeing my oldest child holding my youngest son’s hand as they walk in the park or hearing my daughter ask my 14-year-old son about why is he so good at running track.  Your kids need to bond while they are young so that they can be a strong unit as adults.

5.    Spend time with older children if younger ones can go to daycare for a day – I think it is important to spend one-on-one time with the older children if you can –  without the younger siblings who may warrant more of your attention.  This will allow you to have more targeted conversations with your older children and attend activities that can be a little more rigorous and challenging.  We usually take the older siblings to places like laser tag, theme parks, and go-kart racing.  Remember – even though the younger kids seem to need more of your attention, the older ones crave it just as much and will appreciate the alone time with mom and dad.

6.    Talk to your kids about their ideas and future plans – Use this time to really talk to your kids to learn what is going on in their heads!  Ask them about what big ideas they have and what their new interests are.  Ask them where do they see themselves in the future.  Ask them who their friends are and why they like spending time with them.  Ask open-ended questions and not questions where they can answer just yes or no.  You may be surprised at what new information you may learn from your child!

7.    Show your kids that you are able to laugh and have fun with them – When your kids see you laughing and loving life – they will know that they can too.  So often parents are so focused on keeping the family organized and functioning properly, that the kids may not get to see them let their hair down and get a little crazy.  During break time with your kids, act silly and crack corny jokes – make them laugh and laugh with them.  Doing this shows your kids that you love spending time with them and that you can be a kid at heart with them.

8.    No cell phone during dinner – In today’s electronic age, it is hard to ban cell phones for all activities with your family; however, I do recommend banning them at dinner time.  Eating together as a family is a huge bonding opportunity.  We request that all electronic devices be put away during dinner and we just have good old fashioned conversations.  The discussions do not have to be specific – in fact – the best conversation are the ones about nothing in particular.  This is when I hear the most giggles from my children.

9.    Record these memories – Don’t forget to take lots of pictures and videos of all of these happy memories!  Your brains and your kids will thank you later!

10.  Give them hugs and kisses – Save time for lots of hugs, kisses and snuggles with your children.  They grow up so quickly!  Every morning during breaks, we sit with our kids and just snuggle and talk.  They drink their juice and we our coffee and we just BE.  I love these times and would not trade them for any amount of money in the world.

11.  Allow the kids to have down time to be creative and relax – Try not to schedule every minute of your vacation.  Allow time for you and your kids to just relax. Kids need downtime to learn how to use their imagination and be creative!  They spend so much time in activities and attending school that they just need some time to reset and allow their imaginations to run wild!  In addition, mom and dad need time to recuperate and rest as well.

12.  Be grateful for your family – Family time is very important for bonding and making memories.  In all you do, be grateful for your family and make the most of each minute that you have together.