The best gift anyone can give to a family is the gift of time.
According to the office for National Statistics, parents who work full time spend just 19 minutes every day caring for their children.
This sad truth is not only shocking but a poor indicator of what we are building for our kids. We all work hard for securing our and our kid’s future. But that doesn’t mean we must stop taking out time to spend with them.
Summertime is just perfect to rebuild the family bond. Build some memories with the family. I remember my favorite time during my childhood was the summer holidays. Spending time at home, being lazy and sometimes learning new things. When I was young, all of us use to look forward to the summers.
Though the weather was hot, we had no pressure of homework and exams. No more waking up early, following a timetable! During those days, parents could spare more time to spend with the children in the morning or late evening. I suppose the weekends were the best, with regular visits to the relatives or going for local sightseeing, made the summers seem cool!
Now I am a parent with a busy schedule and a hectic life. The young ones on the other hand too, have lots to study and work on. The sheer competitiveness adds on to it. Apart from their studies, whatever time is left is consumed by friends or the smartphones and social media. However, you can still believe that summertime is the best time to bring the family together. Let the kids savor their time, and their imagination runs wild with these five ways.
5 Ideas To Create Strong Family Bond
1. Family Story Night
Chose one night in a week as a story-night, be it a Saturday or a Friday. Parents can unwind, and the children could have a fun activity. Pick out a story from a book or even your child’s imagination. Let the kids prepare the lines and plots and various characters. Give them a week to prepare so that at the end of the week they can enact the story of their choice.
The role-play activity will enhance their cognitive development and let them gain confidence. Help your kids in learning their parts. Children love an enactment, playing dress up. The fact that parents would be involved too is an added benefit for them. Take chances, let the kids do it for a week and parents do it the next. Mix it to keep it interesting.
It would be an enjoyable activity for the entire family. Parents would be able to appreciate the enthusiasm, and children would love their parents’ participation. And they learn the art of drama and reading a story. When everyone is having so much fun, who cares about the plot or the moral values?
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2. Family and Friends Game Night
Who doesn’t love games? When you can play it as a family, nothing can take away the pleasure of it. Take out the board games, invite some family friends and have some great play dates. The kids would learn to mingle, and all of you can host a great game party.
Play a game of charades, Pictionary, Jenga, Carom Board, snakes, and ladders. Monopoly is great for the bonding and unwinding.
47% of the families in the US like to do play together according to a survey conducted in 2012.
3. Let the Kids Plan a Day
The best way to involve the kids is to give them a free reign to plan a small outing. Let them decide the place, activities, and the route. You would be amazed at how much the children can work out the details and how well they observe their parents. It would be a pleasant surprise to see the children plan things for you. They can think ahead, and as a family, it would be a great day.
The outing would give you time to see them work and work on the family ties. Your supervision would be required. When parents involve the kids in planning, it makes them feel important. Besides planning together is way more fun!
4. Have a Meal Together
“A family who eats together stays together” is a well-known expression. According to the same survey, 67% of the families still like to eat together.
But it is believed that most American families can eat only one meal a day for just five days a week. Make time to eat together. These small things just add so much meaning to life.
When families eat together, they can talk about trivial things and significant issues. Decide on just one meal together, with no phones, no books or newspapers and no TV. Learn the art of simple communication.
Most parents are not aware of the life of the kids and vice-versa. Talk about your life, listen to them talking about their studies, and let the conversation flow without nagging or any altercation. This way the mealtime is a wholesome family affair. It helps build trust in a home; a place for ultimate fun and meaningful conversations.
5. Spend Time Outdoor
Summers are the best time to build your immunity and take the kids outdoors. We all are used to being in a controlled environment. The constant humming of the air conditioners is making the kids weak. To build their immunity let them pick out a sport – Individual or group, doesn’t matter.
Kids have a better chance to build their immunity if they are allowed to play outside. It also makes them social. Sports help build self-esteem, teamwork, and confidence. Discipline, commitment, and motivation can also be learned through sports. While you cheer from the sidelines, the kids would be happy. You can also jump in whenever you can and play with them.
People have again started to put their families first nowadays. As parents, it is our responsibility to bring the family together and instill the moral values we shared while growing up. Let us teach them by example, how to be a good human being and to teach love, compassion, and willpower. Make most of the summer season to bring your family together.
Comment below and let us know how do you spend your time during summer? If you liked this article, do share it with your friends. Don’t forget to subscribe with us for more amazing content delivered to your inbox.
