In this day and age, it’s harder than ever to find time to bond with your family and relax. Children are often glued to their phones, and sometimes the parents as well! Sitting down, talking with one another, and generally building memories together as a family is harder than it’s ever been. It doesn’t have to be that way, though.
8 Extraordinary Ways Your Family Can Bond
There are plenty of ways you can gather the family together and spend quality time without breaking the bank. Here are eight ways to bond with your family in our modern era.
1. Talk to each other
We know that this one is easier said than done, but one of the best ways to build quality relationships with your family is to talk to one another. Whether it’s just you and your partner or you’ve got kids, talking engenders positive feelings in the family and helps everyone feel closer. The conversations don’t have to feel super-serious. You could talk about your Aries horoscope or an in-depth political discussion. It’s totally up to you!
2. Impose a screen ban
Have you ever been scrolling through Facebook only to realize an hour has passed on accident? If so, you know how easy it is to lose track of time. Setting limits is a great way to prevent your children from developing Digital Addiction. Imposing a screen ban during set times can be a great way your family can bond. Teaching your children early on that time with family is more important than technology will help their long term health. Doing this could be an excellent opportunity to have a conversation with your family!
3. Get outside together
Absorbing the sights, sounds, and smells of the great outdoors can have a profound effect on our mental health. With that in mind, it stands to reason that being in this environment with family members we love can only have a positive effect on us.
Try taking a walk in the woods with your family if there’s somewhere nearby that would make this easy. Alternatively, you could try doing some gardening together or even just going for a walk on the beach (don’t be afraid to drive there!).
4. Go to an event
Taking your kids to an event – a convention, for example, or a live concert – can be an excellent way to build family relationships, especially if it’s something you all know you enjoy. The best family events are inclusive, they’re exciting, and they don’t cost the earth.
If you’re not feeling a festival, see if any of your kids’ (or your) favorite bands are playing anywhere nearby soon. Or, try an outdoor film event or the theatre. There’s always something to do if you look hard enough!
5. Do something creative together
Nothing bonds a family faster than engaging in a creative project together. Working with one another on making something new challenges you engages your brain and makes you cooperate with your family, thus increasing your empathy.
There might be some barriers to break down here. After all, not everyone is forthcoming with their creative ideas. You might need to ask family members for their input. Once the juices are flowing, though, it’s hard to get them to stop!
6. Cook a meal together
There are so many benefits to cooking together as a family that it’s a wonder more families don’t do it. By preparing a meal together, you’ll increase your family’s health, allow some much-needed bonding time, and expand your kids’ repertoire so they can cook more into their own adult lives.
Rather than grabbing a takeout menu every time you can’t decide what to eat, why not reach for a recipe book. You can try something new from that instead! If meal planning is a struggle for you, MyFreezEasy is a great option! You can make a Sunday afternoon fun by prepping meals together for the next week. This way, dinner time is freed up nightly. These are great Ways Your Family Can Bond!
7. Travel
Sometimes, family holidays can be something of a nightmare, especially if they involve kids who won’t behave themselves. Usually, though, they’re an excellent opportunity for you and your family not only to get to know one another better but also to experience new places around the world.
Ask your partner and your kids where they’ve always wanted to go, and if you don’t get an answer, spin a globe (or use Google Earth’s random feature) and pick somewhere arbitrarily. Travel should be exciting, after all!
8. Don’t force it
The most important thing about family time is that you don’t force it. Your family might not always want to spend time together, and if you force everyone to be in a room when they might want to be off doing their own thing, you’re only going to foster resentment.
Instead, try setting a designated time for “family time” so that everyone knows that’s when it will happen. If it doesn’t work or it’s just not coming off, don’t be afraid to reschedule; family time will be all the sweeter when you know everyone wants it!
Extraordinary Ways Your Family Can Bond
As you can see, these are great ways your Family Can Bond! They are simple but powerful! Do you have more ideas? Let us know in the comments below!