Our lives are often hectic and it can feel like you don’t get to spend much time with your family. However, there are many reasons why having fun as a family is important. Not only does family fun help you to develop strong bonds and family identity, but can benefit your children in the long term too. Here are a few reasons why you should set out some quality time for your family.
It helps you make memories
Having fun as a family is the best way to make memories together. You want your kids to look at your family in a positive light and see it as a source of support. Having fun together can contribute to them feeling positive and happy about your family.
When it comes to having fun, there are so many fantastic things you can do together. Here are just a few ideas:
- Holidays are a great way to make memories that will last a lifetime, as you can experience something totally new together. No matter how small or large your budget, you’ll be able to go somewhere that is new and exciting – regardless of if it’s a drive or flight away.
- Go to an adventure park. This keeps you all active and really engages your children. It encourages your family to work together and support each other, while having fun.
- Host a games night. A super simple, easy and low-cost way to make memories together. Play board games, cards, or even make up your own games that everyone can enjoy together.
It encourages trust and communication
Spending time with your family, and having fun together is also a great way to build trust with your kids and encourage healthy, open communication. With the influence of the internet and social media today, and many children having devices of their own, they can often feel isolated from their family. Especially if they are experiencing bullying or low self-esteem, children can withdraw from their families and suffer in silence. This can often result in your children developing mental health issues or struggling in their relationships as they grow up,
Encouraging an atmosphere of love and positivity in the home through spending time together and having fun can avoid this happening. When your kids have a good relationship with you, they are more likely to share their problems and communicate their feelings with you.
It builds self-esteem
When children spend time with their parents and have fun with them, the positive effects aren’t just on your relationship, but with your child’s self-esteem too. Positive reinforcement from parents helps your children to feel better about themselves as they feel more valued. This results in them feeling more confident, which will help them in many other areas of their lives too.
Having good self-esteem is crucial to your child’s development, and will help them to feel strong and capable of doing whatever they set their minds to. It also helps with battling the external troubles they will inevitably face as they grow older. You want them to have the tools to defend themselves from judgement, negativity and bullying. This is combatted best by a good level of self-esteem. And it’s so easily built simply by spending time together and making them feel positive and valued.
It teaches your children positive behaviours
Spending time with your family helps your children to develop positive behaviours, including compassion, compromise and kindness. Throughout the various activities you do together, your kids will learn how to treat others through the way that your family interacts with one another. Learning these things whilst having fun together is a great way to teach your children a seemingly boring lesson.
This can be seen in even the simplest of activities. For example, if you are baking together and two of your children both want to lick the bowl. Encouraging them to share not only keeps both parties happy, but teaches your child a lesson in kindness and sharing. It is this very lesson that they will take into the outside world and subconsciously use when in similar future situations.
It teaches your children new skills and knowledge
Through the activities you do together, you can use your family fun time to teach your children something new. Whether it’s a quiz about countries of the world or developing a new skill such as painting, each fun activity that you do with your family can be a wonderful learning experience. Get them involved too with coming up with ideas, that way you can teach them something they may already have an interest in. the key here is variety – the more new skills and knowledge you expose your family to, the higher chance you have of nurturing their natural curiosity and skills.
This teaching opportunity isn’t just academic or creative. Having fun with your family teaches your kids invaluable social skills too. Encouraging your children to make an effort in familial relationships can help them to develop positive behaviours that they can use in their other relationships outside of the household.
It limits time on gadgets and screens
Technology has changed our lives in many ways. Although a lot of them have been in positive ways, there are some changes that haven’t been so great. We can learn a lot from technology, and are more connected than ever with social media, the internet can be a dangerous place for children. And they spend a lot of time using technology nowadays. From tablets and TVs, to computers and phones, it seems as if they’re glued to a screen most of the day. The dangers that children face online is enough to worry any parent, which is why spending quality time with your family is so important.
Having fun together is crucial if you want your kids to want to spend time with you rather than their screens. When they feel happy and connected to the family unit, they’re less likely to spend so much time on their screens.