Eat dinner together. Not only is eating a healthy, home cooked meal good for your health, gathering around the table to share a meal is a great way to get closer to your family. Dinnertime conversations provide the opportunity for family members to connect after what is often an otherwise disconnected day. Make dinner time technology free time to maximize the potential for real-life connections. In our family we collect all smart phones and set them aside, ringers off, until mealtime is completed.
Share a hobby. Whether it’s maintaining a family garden or joining a bowling league, find something fun that you can all do together. In our family, it’s collecting shells at low tide at the beach. When family members come together and spend time doing something they enjoy doing both individually and as a family, relationships will strengthen and deepen.
Volunteer together. Take up a cause that your family can commit to supporting together. Local soup kitchens are always in need of volunteers to prepare and serve meals to homeless members of your community. Chances are, your local place of worship also provides many opportunities for families to give back to the community. Each year we sponsor a family at Christmas time and purchase toys, clothes, food for the family. We even get our extended family involved by asking them to add “an adopted” family member to their shopping list. When you find something your family is passionate about work to make a difference and you’ll see your bonds will grow.
Start new traditions. Celebrating traditions provide children with a sense of belonging to their family unit. When family members feel like they belong, they’re more vested in strengthening their bonds and developing their relationships. For our family, it’s attending church, heading out to lunch and taking a scenic drive every Sunday. Whether it’s attending church together on Sunday mornings or preparing homemade marinara sauce on Sunday afternoons, creating opportunities for togetherness will provide opportunities for bonding to occur.
Take a break together. You don’t need to jet set across the Atlantic to enjoy a family retreat. From camping in your backyard to scoring a great deal on a local hotel and escaping there for the weekend, taking a break from the everyday stresses of life together can nourish the mind, body and soul. We make a point to travel one state over each summer to spend a long weekend enjoying together. It’s something we look forward to year round. When you’re feeling fully nourished and rested, it’s then you’re able to pour into the relationships you have with others.
*This article is sponsored by Mott’s.
