Staying healthy as a family means making the time to connect. In our fast-paced Web 2.0 world, connecting and re-connecting can seem monumental. It is not! When you start finding the joy in everyday living and make a way to connect, everyone’s mental health and outlook improves. Here are 3 fun things for families to do together on a regular basis:
1.) Take on a family project – Whether it is putting together a swing set for the backyard, building a tree house, or simply putting some pillows together for a fabulous indoor fort; finding something that everyone can be involved with is healthy. In addition, it is a great way to get all those niggling little odd jobs done around the house or even make preparing dinner more fun and enjoyable.
2.) Family dinners – While it can seem challenging to do, family dinners are essential for family well-being. It is a powerful way to connect and research shows that tweens and teens that have family dinners are less likely to use drugs or make unhealthy choices. Eating at least one meal a day together is a fantastic time to share daily experiences and re-connect.
3.) Read together – No one is ever too old to be read to. Taking 20-30 minutes a day to read together and listen is a fun way to exercise your imagination and bond. Many of the classics, like Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea or Little Women, are more inviting to kids than you would first think. Try it!
Making time to do fun things together is an enjoyable way to bond, connect, and create a strong family. If you are struggling to find ideas about what to do together as a family, try having a family meeting. At the family meeting, everyone can brainstorm and contribute ideas. Then, you can flip a coin, pick an idea out of a hat, or draw straws to figure out the one to do first. Then, you can have fun keeping track as you complete all of the ideas together.