When I was growing up, family time was lots of fun, with simple activities such as sitting, gisting, and laughing with my mother. Sometimes, it was a TV show that brought us together. Other times, it was my mother sharing whatever treat she had bought us.
Now we have all grown (somewhat), and gotten into the habit of doing our own things without really spending much time together. Many families have a similar struggle with bonding. This is because of the fast pace of living these days. Children return from school much later than usual with mountains of homework. And parents are working longer hours to pay mounting bills. So, spending time with family requires a more conscious effort than ever before.
Here are a few suggestions for squeezing in some family time despite your busy schedule.
Eat At Least One Meal Together
It doesn’t even have to be one meal every day. But you should try for one unhurried breakfast or dinner together every two or three days. You can talk about your plans for the day or your experiences during the day.
Do Chores Together
Sometimes, join your teenagers in cleaning up their room instead of sending them off to do it on their own. Also, let them join in your kitchen or garage afterwards. You can introduce random life lessons in a fun and natural manner.
Take Impromptu ‘Famfies’
Okay. So I just made that up. Think about a ‘famfie’ as a ‘family selfie’ where you all take group selfies with your goofiest faces. You can tweak it from time to time and include makeshift costumes for a ‘photo shoot’. You are bound to get many laughs and make fun memories. And they’ll be captured on camera too!
Play A Daily Journal Game
You can create a game where you all spend an allotted time each day talking about your experiences. Assign one day to one person and let everyone listen to that person recount her day/whole week as if in a journal. You will get to know each family member and what’s going on with them pretty well.
Schedule Family Movie Nights
You can make out time for a movie with the whole family, once a week or once a month. Find new movies that work across all ages or watch a few old family favourites. It’s an easy way to bond while enjoying a good movie.
Take An Evening Stroll Together
This works best if you live in a secure and not too busy area. You can even hold money to buy fruits or treats like roasted corn and native pear along the road. If you are so inclined, you can all play games watching people and making up possible stories about their lives.
Look At Family Albums Together
This oldie is still a goodie. It’s a great way to reminisce on past family events, and tell (and retell) family stories and legends. The younger ones will get to ‘know’ or feel a sense of kinship with family members who have passed on.
Keep Fit together
Whether you go to a gym or work out at home, it helps if you work out with your family as well. You automatically get accountability/gym partners while spending time together.
What other ways to spend quality time with your family can you think of? Please let us know in the comments. It’s always great to hear from you.