Between helping at my daughter's school and working at home- I am lucky to be able to spend a lot of time with my daughter. Plus, my hubby owns his own business as well, so he can have a lot of flexibility. Again, he can work in her activities as well! But, not all time spent together is quality time though, and in fact, we spend many of our days hustling and hurrying from one event or activity to the next. When we find ourselves in a chaotic and busy season in our lives, we step back and try to focus on easy ways to squeeze more quality family time into our schedules. I truly believe that there is nothing more important than family, and finding the time to connect with one another each day is essential.
Here are five simple ways that we can all work harder to spend more time together with our kiddos!
GO OUTSIDE!
It can be as simple as taking a quick adventure to a park that you have never visited before or as elaborate as planning a week-long camping trip, but immersing yourself in the outdoors is always a fantastic way to connect with your family. The outdoors provides a welcome relief from the buzz of modern electronics and provides a vast array of activities that you can enjoy with your family.
Read Together
Reading also provides a quiet and focused atmosphere that is free of distractions. Snuggle up together before bedtime with a book, and take turns reading pages or chapters to each other.
Go Somewhere Fun!
Change up your usual routine and head somewhere unexpected! Visit a local museum, aquarium, botanical garden, or zoo. Discovering and exploring new places is a wonderful family bonding activity!
Play Games
Board games are one of my family’s favorite ways to spend time together, particularly in the evenings. Our little girl is a little young so her attention span is short. So while we have so many games, it's still more about making a mess and doing matching with game pieces. But we do try to teach her about "taking turns".
Dining Out!
Having quality family time around the dinner table is an age-old tradition, but the added bonus of not having to cook or clean up always makes me have even more fun while dining out! We are definitely are a going out for meals family. Our big one is Saturday breakfast! My biggest piece of advice is to start this early...our daughter is really good at a restaurant (for her age) without electronics. I really contribute that to how ofter we do dine out. It's special, but not like a rare trip to the fair or zoo.
What is your favorite way to spend time with your family??
Photos of Kristen's Family
Euless, TX, US