No matter what the age of our kids, there’s one thing every parent has in common: we want a close relationship with our children. We want them to turn to us when they have problems, enjoy spending time with us and each other, and form a close-knit family bond that will keep us connected through all of life’s stages. While that sounds like a big order, it may be easier to accomplish than you think. Try these seven surprising (and fun!) ways to get in quality time and bring your family closer than ever!
Make mealtimes a family activity
The family that eats dinner together stays together! But we say do one better and prepare meals together, too. Smart phones, tablets, and video games are impossible to play when you’re slicing veggies, making meal prep a natural time for kids to open up and chat with their parents. As a bonus, picky eaters are more likely to try food they had a hand in making!
Find a joint family hobby
Undoubtedly everyone has a different favorite activity, but if you can find just one or two hobbies the family enjoys doing together, you’ll find every single family member is suddenly looking forward to family time! Try gardening, cycling, joining a family softball league, or taking an art class (or just making art at home together).
Designate a family night
Pick one night of the week that every family member can and will be home together and set it aside for family night. Taco Tuesday, Game night Thursday, Movie night Friday, Monday Pizza night. Whatever sounds fun to your family is the perfect pick!
Send each other notes
A “just thinking of you” note in your kids lunchbox, an “I love you” sticky note on the bathroom mirror, or a letter of encouragement slid under the door when your teenager is studying for finals can make a huge impact!
Play the “high-low” game over dinner
Over dinner is a great time to catch up with each family member, but “how was your day?” doesn’t usually spark a meaningful conversation. Instead, spark conversation by playing the “high-low” game, or some variation thereof. Going around the table, each family member names the high point and the low point of their day. Encourage follow up questions! As this becomes a daily part of your routine, your family will learn more about each other, get interested in activities and situations the other members talk about and feel closer.
Read together
Especially important for little ones, reading together serves as both quality time and helps kids thrive. Even older kids who can read to themselves benefit from being read aloud to.
Make hot tubbing a regular family activity
You might make your kids put away their electronic devices for other activities, but hot tubbing is the one thing that’s sure to get them to voluntarily set aside their phones and games and race you to the spa! We haven’t met a kid yet who didn’t like soaking in the hot tub. Hanging out in the hot tub together is the ideal environment to get the conversation flowing, but you could also incorporate word or water games for even more fun. Soaking in a hot tub is safe for kids over five, but since even older kids are more heat-sensitive than adults, turn the heat down to 98℉ to 102℉ max. Let kids soak for 5-20 minutes at a time, depending on their age and the temperature of the water. No hot tub of your own? Check out our Master Spas® selection!
When it comes down to us, it’s really quality over quantity time spent together than makes the biggest difference in bringing families closer together. We hope you incorporate some of these activities and see your family bond grow!