There is no denying that today’s parents are busier more than ever. They will rarely get time for their kids. With a lot to do with so little time, you might find yourself missing out on the important milestones of the family. That is why it is important that you’re taking your time off and just focus on the family. It is the little sacrifices that will count at the end of it all. Even the small things like searching for stores that are selling polo shirts that match the whole family could be a step in the right direction. Here are some of the things you can do as a family to strengthen the bond.
Say Thank You
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to say thank you. It shouldn’t only be limited to thanksgiving because there is a lot to be thankful for at any given moment. You can establish a routine for early in the morning or before the family goes to sleep just to say thanks. It is a good habit to instill in your kids early on in life.
Don’t Forget to Laugh
It takes a lot more energy to laugh than to frown. If you’re observant, you’ll notice that there is a lot more to laugh about than you’d assume. It could be that dinner is supposed to be ready in 20 minutes but the chicken is still frozen. Finding something to all laugh about can improve the emotional bonds that you have as a family.
Eat Together
A lot of families don’t always share a meal that they’ve forgotten just how important it is. Even if it might be possible during breakfast, parents should make it a point to be on time for dinner. Everyone should have their phones on silent and the TV turned off during dinner. There are so many benefits to sharing a meal and spending time with those you love happens to be on top of the list.
Schedule Family Time
It doesn’t matter if you have young ones or teens, scheduling family time is important for the whole family. The first thing you’ll want to do is to look at everyone’s schedule to determine if there are any blocks. It could be a regular night during the week when there are not a lot of commitments. It doesn’t have to be every day. It could be once a week.
Go on Vacation
Numerous studies have shown that going on vacation together as a family can help strengthen the bonds. The whole family should be involved in the decision-making process so as to make it more fun. You don’t have to go abroad in order to get the best out of the vacation. Renting an RV is cheaper and more intimate as it encourages the whole family to bond.
Clean Together
No one likes doing house chores but it could be fun when you do it as a family. You can divide the family into teams with a reward system in place. You can create a list of the things you’d like to complete and attach time frames. You might have to be flexible if you have teens in your household given the fact that there could be other things competing for their attention. Doing the house chores will help in fostering teamwork among family members.
Have a Mission Statement
When you think about a mission statement, it is a non-profit organization that is likely to come to mind. You can still have a mission statement for the family to subscribe to. With a family mission statement, everyone is aware of the family’s core values. It could be how to treat each other and also how to go about life.
Have Meetings
Having a family meeting is important so that people get to air their grievances. It should be noted that such meetings shouldn’t be for fault-finding but addressing the thorny issues that could be holding you from moving forward as a family.
Encourage Support
There is nothing more rewarding than knowing that you have the support of your family. You kids are more likely to remember such bonds for the rest of their lives. In order to encourage support, everyone in the family needs to be aware of the values that are important. The family will always be there in good times and in bad times too and it feels easy to go through such times.