5 Awesome ways to bond more with your family
Spending time with your family is one of the single most important things that you can do. Though parents understand that the value of family bonding cannot be overstated, it is typically a huge undertaking.
Modern life has become so busy and stressful; the kids have hectic school and sports schedules, the work demands never stop even after hours, one has social commitments that need to be kept and all of these components make family bonding rather challenging.
It gets 10 times harder when you add technology to the equation. As such, it is not just essential to spend bonding time together, but you must also make sure that it is tech-free for it to truly count. Spending time with your loved ones is one of the best and most reward gifts you can give them.
Not only will spending quality time provide your family with a sense of belonging and security but it is also essential for your kids to develop a high esteem of the self as well as learn vital social skills.
Organize a family game night
Creating family traditions such as a monthly game night will help to provide your family members with a sense of belonging. When family members feel as though they fit in and belong, it makes it so much easier to deal with problems, which are bound to arise, when they do.
Creating opportunities for togetherness is also something that family members can look forward to. Taking a break to take part in a fun activity such as playing board games, or having a competitive Foosball tournament can help everyone involved feel relaxed, nourished and rested. Or do one better. And get yourself a foosball table for your house (check out pingpongetc.com for an in-depth guide on the best foosball tables on the market here).
When all family members are happy and content, it then becomes easier to communicate and tolerate each other when the going gets tough. A family game night may sound simple and modest, but it could be just what you need to mend any broken relationships.
Plan a road trip together
Traveling together to new and unexplored territories often requires that people put their heads together to figure out new routes, cultures and people. Working together when traveling can be a source of enormous satisfaction for all the family members involved.
It doesn’t matter if you choose to travel to a faraway destination or keep it local, the experience of traveling together doing something that everyone enjoys individually and as a group will help to strengthen and deepen your bond with one another.
Try new things together
Although technology has done a lot to make modern life easier and more convenient, it can feel as though it is conspiring against family bonding and togetherness. When everyone is plugged in and engrossed by their phones, it can make it hard to communicate with each other let alone bond, even though you might be in the same room.
To get everyone to disconnect from their phones and bond, consider trying or learning new things together. There is something deeply satisfying about working together to learn something new. The banter, laughter and problem-solving skills that you will pick up in the process of learning will go on to strengthen as well as deepen your family bond and relationships.
Eat dinner together
Sitting down for a nightly meal with your family is not only great for everyone’s brain, but also for their body and spirit. We know, what you’re probably asking- where in heaven’s name do you find time to sit and eat with all that’s going on?
The thing is- that nightly dinner doesn’t have to be a gourmet masterpiece that takes you hours upon hours to complete. It doesn’t need to have courses and organic garnishing either. As long as you are serving a nice, healthy meal, eating together can be one of the most remarkable bonding experiences a family can have.
For a lot of parents, it would be much easier and simpler to order takeout than have everything huddling together at the dinner table. But when families sit to eat together, it allows the members of the family to discuss the challenges of day to day life so that they can be easier to handle.
Volunteer as a unit
Serving your community together will not only teach your kids a valuable lesson about helping others, but it will make your family feel connected to the community. Being socially adept is an important component of growing up, and doing volunteer work is one of the best ways to teach young children how.
Whenever you have a free Saturday morning, consider taking the kids to your local animal shelter to volunteer their time for a few hours. There’s plenty to do, whether that might involve helping to walk the dogs, clean out the cages or just play with the animals. It will be hard to tell who will benefit more from the experience- the kids or the animals.
Volunteering as a family is vital because it teaches all involved how to be givers. And you don’t have to limit your volunteering to the animal shelter. Plenty of other areas in your community need your help, whether that’s helping seniors at the senior center, cooking at the local soup kitchen or just volunteering to keep the community tidy and free of trash.
Final Thoughts
We all know the value of family; nothing matters more. When the challenges of life get in the way, when you lose your dependable job, when your marriage falls apart- your family will be there for you. The bond that you have created together as a family is what will carry you and cushion the blows that life throws at you- kind of like a cushy blowup mattress.
The memories that you will create during your special bonding moments is what will empower and encourage you to keep pushing whenever it gets too unbearable. Sometimes people assume that family bonding is something that occurs naturally. However, you actually need to actively make an effort to forge the connections that you need to bond. If you are looking for some fresh ideas, these tips above should help.
