I’m sure this post will be all too familiar to you. And, you probably wouldn’t be the first parent ever to worry that your family never speaks to each other.
You may have one child that never leaves their bedroom like my oldest son. Another always has their face in their phone. While another just plays video games every waking hour. And then you look at you and your partner, and you are probably no better than the kids.
It’s a familiar tale; our digital lives have taken over. Far from being the tools that strengthen communication, often they help us to shut out those around us. This can lead to everyone in the household feeling grumpy, or worse, arguing.
Here are a few suggestions of ways that you can bring your family closer together.
Learn To Unplug
With technology being a problem in many relationships, you may wish to consider trying to set some time restraints so that your whole family can learn to have a positive relationship with technology, rather than allowing it to dominate their lives.
You may decide that digital detoxing is a good option for you. But at the very least, spending time with your children and letting them know the issues that come with too much technology will help them to understand the problem.
You will need to try and find many things to re-engage your family to keep them from getting bored and restless.
Have A Games Night
One of the simplest pleasures of days gone by was a family night playing board games. Classic games such as Monopoly and Cluedo were a great way of relaxing together and having fun. We’ve even had fun with Double Chuck and Watch Yo Mouth.
Encourage your family to have a board games night every week. Try and make it fun with pizza, snacks, and drinks, and get a fun mix of games.
If you want something a bit more challenging, you might want to play Scrabble and to help the kids use a Scrabble word finder.
Take A Road Trip
A family day out need not be too expensive. Many museums are free, and plenty of cheap activities such as beaches and castles that can be a lot of fun, especially for younger children.
One of the best things about a day out can be the journey, though. Play lots of fun games and listen to music together. Your kids may want to use this as a time to play hand-held consoles or their phones, but try and get them to engage with you, each other, and the world outside.
Time spent outdoors will mean exercise and fresh air for your family. This will help to keep them fit and healthy.
Get A Dog
One of the best ways to engage your family is through pet ownership. Getting a dog will help you get out together for walks. Having a dog means that your children will want to play with it and as such, your dog will encourage them too.
Teaching your children how to look after a pet responsibility will also be a great life lesson for them.
Final Thoughts
There is no getting away from technology. It’s here and it’s here to stay. But, what we can do is make it a priority to find creative ways to interact and engage with our family. While only a few ideas are given in this post, there are so many more things that you can do with your family.
What’s something that your family does?
