Juggling between work, personal life, school and activities related to school can be hard. No matter your age or your experience in parenthood, creating a balance between all of this while still having a personal life and without compromising the quality of time spent with kids can be quite difficult and almost impossible. Focusing on special times with loved ones these days seems to be on the last place on the list because of the busy schedule parents have, and the consequences can be shocking in a bad way.
That is why taking small steps is one of the first things you should do in order to mend the bond you have, not only with your children but also with your spouse. One of the easiest, fastest and most effective ways that can help you repair the relationship between all of you is through creating some traditions and bonding rituals. This can aid not only the bond you have but also your emotional health and family resiliency.
Ways to Bond Better With Your Family
Play Games
Nothing can repair the bond and improve the mood like playing games with your loved ones. Practice shows that gaming is an excellent night to strengthen your family bond while creating some long-lasting memories on which you will gladly come back. And one of the games that people of all ages love is puzzles. This isn't a surprising fact because a wooden jigsaw puzzle can help you work through a challenge that somehow seems impossible, but with the help of your loved ones the impossible will become possible.
Puzzles are great for the family as they require critical thinking and good problem-solving skills, and since two or more heads are better than one, solving the puzzle will be a piece of cake for you and your family. Since puzzles are a collaborative activity, you and the members of your family will start working together through the challenges to resolve them. This team activity is perfect for helping you communicate which is of vital importance for those of you who have smaller children. Thanks to this, your little ones will improve their social, language, thinking, problem-solving, strategic and motor skills. Given the fact that puzzles usually consist of smaller pieces, you will help your little ones improve their motor skills without fearing that they will break the pieces. Being made from wood makes these puzzles long-lasting and durable and the effects of paint and texture cannot be compared to the ones made from cardboard. The wood pieces simply give them a new definition of beauty and appeal, something that is impossible to achieve with cardboard puzzles.
Playing puzzles with your loved ones requires time and patience, but be sure to experience lots of laughs and debates on different topics which is just another step towards creating a better bond with your loved ones. In order to improve the fun and the good time, make sure to choose a wooden jigsaw puzzle with an interesting theme so that all of your family members can enjoy it.
Watch a Movie Together
Who says that a movie night cannot help you bond with your family?! Instead of going to the cinema, you can make every Sunday night a movie one. To make things more interesting and memorable, make popcorn at home, fill the glasses with their favorite drinks, dim the lights, and pick a movie together.
Let this be your tradition and make sure not to skip it. This is something that your children will remember until old and will talk about it with their children and your nephews. To make things even more interesting, for your first movie night, make movie tickets with time, place and movie title. Your kids will love the idea, and who knows, maybe the next time they will start making the cards on their own. Just be open to anything, and expect some creative ideas.
Go on a Weekend Getaway
Those free weekends should be used more wisely don't you think?! Instead of going to the mall, sitting at home or going to your friends, make sure now and then to go somewhere with your family. Organizing a weekend getaway is another way that can help you spend some quality time with the family away from your home. Make sure to always visit new places, so that all of you can make and collect memories together. For instance, one time you can spend a weekend at the beach on a seaside beach house, and the next time you can go to a mountain cottage where you can have a completely different experience. Fishing, horse riding, and going on a short boat trip are some of the things that you can do together. Just make sure to have everything carefully planned to save time more time.
Cook Together
The one thing children love the most is helping their parents with chores and cooking is one of them. They simply love the idea of helping and doing something, so from time to time, you can allow them to help you make lunch or dinner. When doing this, make all meal preps as kid-friendly as possible to avoid unwanted situations and accidents.
Once done, eat the food together and see whether it needs improvement or not. Discuss it with your children treat them like adults, and see how miracles can happen. By doing this, they will take themselves as serious and reliable people who know what they are doing, so they will feel free to give new ideas and make suggestions for your next meals.