Time is non-refundable.
Use it with intention.
-Unknown
Living in the age of technology and the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we can risk losing our family connection. As a parent I have caught myself saying “I am too busy” “I can’t right now” or just being frustrated with the daily to-do’s than to truly just STOP. When I first became a mom in 2015, my son taught me how to breathe again, and to literally stop and smell the flowers. We usually get so caught up with the routine of our daily lives that we tend to stop “living it.” This is where mental health can go downhill and not just for you, the parent but also your child.
I learned to appreciate the little things, the clouds, the flowers, little bugs, and fallen leaves and even an actual breath of fresh air. It is incredible how much you can learn from a toddler. But as everything else in this busy life of ours that too can be brushed under the rug when that to-do list comes creeping up. This is where discipline comes in. We always talk about taking care of ourselves by using healthy coping skills for our mental health and the practice of self-care, but this too can be a collective work and be done as a family.
Our environment is very influential to our mood and how we interact with our family plays a role in that. Shouldn’t home be your sanctuary and not another stressor? I get it, it is a lot tending to the house, children, pets, meals, and self-care, when do you have time for the family? Well, like everything else, you have to make the time! What recharges my heart is the happiness my boys have when they spend time with mommy and daddy. Spending time together as a family helps connect with your children emotionally and this can help make them feel happy and loved. Spending time together can affect their development and future relationships.
By being inclusive, we are also modeling to our children something they will continue in their adulthood. With spending time together, you can engage in active listening, conversations, getting to know your child as they grow so fast this also helps for them to open up to you.
Spending quality family time does not need to be expensive. There are many things that can be done as a family to improve family dynamics, strong connection, stress level decrease, and overall mental health and quality of life. Here are some things that my family and I enjoy to do that keep us close.
Family Fun and Bonding Ideas
Meal time: This is one my six-year-old loves to do! My sous chef! Some things that you can do together are: coming up with the menu, prepping and cooking, setting the table and eating together, serving and cleaning up.
And the new #1 thing is no electronics at dinner time.
Reading: We are book lovers in this family, we are always reading and it is routine to read stories at night before bed. Make it interactive! Ask questions about the story to engage in conversation. It is fun to explore and see where your child’s imagination will take you.
Travel: We have not traveled yet since welcoming our baby in September, but looking forward to family trips! Those are always great. It is nice to get away and go on adventures together.
Movie/Game nights: Weekly movie nights with pop-corn or your favorite movie snacks are fun!
Arts and Crafts: We LOVE creating together! Putting up the art on the fridge makes the little one so happy and proud to have his work on display.
Music: Have fun and dance it out! Or sing it out! My kid has great taste in music and we make it a party just us 4! May I add, he is a great dancer!
Museums/Parks: This is usually part of our weekend itinerary. We do go to the park a lot and have lunch together and play sports or race RC cars. Now we have resumed visiting museums since we had not really gone due to COVID.
These are some of the things my family enjoys to do. Spending time together and having fun strengthens our bong and definitely improves our mood. We get to grow together and get to know each other it helps us be better connected. It truly is the little things! Just early this week homework was beginning to get frustrated so we took it outside and I made a quick charcuterie board and the mood shifted! The change in scenery and yummy snacks definitely made homework a tad bit enjoyable. The good thing about these activities are that you can do something together every day.
Home is where we decompress from work and school. Trying to maintain this bond will help children perform better academically, decrease behavioral problems, boost their self-confidence and self-esteem, and the modeling of healthy parenting skills and communication. These memories that are being created are what is the true take-away of it all. We go through so much on a daily basis, and although it can be difficult at times, we have to disconnect from the outside world. Children have a lot on their plate as well with the endless amount of homework that they get daily which can take up “family time” that is why making dinner time and or reading a book together part of the daily bond activities can be the way to not lose that.
While working with children as a therapist, I encountered many children who would express how stressed they were from school and how busy their parents were and how unapproachable their parents could be and how everyone would isolate and avoid any interaction. I know that some days can be rough on us all but maintaining communication with one another and being approachable can be beneficial to both parents and the children’s mental health. It is a scary world that we live in so I make it priority to check in with everyone.
Explore with your family what you can incorporate to create your family activities list! It is never too late to start!
