6 Habits to Strengthen Family Ties

Families are under constant pressure these days. Whether it’s the distractions of dear old Dad’s job or daughter’s softball commitments, time together is becoming more and more scarce. If you’re ready to recommit to strengthen family ties, put down the electronics and start with one of these family-fortifying habits.

 

1. Family dinner

Research has proven time and again that dining together as a family promotes lifelong healthy eating habits. Other benefits of this family practice include improved communication and raising kids who learn to eat a variety of foods instead of fixating on mac and cheese. If family dinner isn’t already a part of your routine, aim for at least one family meal a week and build from there.

 

2. Read together

Besides the obvious benefits of inspiring a love of books and advanced school readiness, reading together as a family is a great way to wind down at the end of a long day.

 

3. Family game night

In an age of seclusion via personal electronic device, families tend to be a bit disconnected. What better way to get back in sync than to share some laughs over a card game or two? If you’re ready to go beyond the board game, introduce games of strategy, brain teasers, and puzzles. For a real challenge, get out of the house for a family scavenger hunt like this one from Spot of Tea Designs! Make game nights a permanent on your calendar to ensure the whole family can leave room for it in their schedules.

 

4. Get active together

It doesn’t matter if you’re swinging at the park, canoeing across mountain lakes, or horseback riding across desert dunes – getting active outside as a family is a great way to connect. Try a new sport or hike a new trail to keep your family interested and excited.

 

5. Start a new tradition

See if your family can come up with an idea that’s all their own instead of following the traditions of others. Get creative! What’s something you all enjoy doing? Could you do it on a certain day each year or always in a certain place? These are the things your family will cherish and remember over many years and multiple generations.

 

6. Define your family’s values and priorities

Get everyone on the same page by determining and writing down your family’s beliefs, goals, and values. Allowing every family member to be involved in the process will encourage continued support and discussion of those values. Be sure to show the reasons behind each belief or goal and explain how remaining loyal to them will benefit the family as a whole. For even more family fun, you can make a poster to hang where you will be reminded of your commitments.

 

Kayla Lilly is a photographer, writer, wife, and mama making a house a home in eastern Idaho. She met her mister while working at an amusement park and married him a year later after deciding there was no way to live without him. The amusement has continued as they’ve added three kids and a passel of pets to their lives while finishing college and starting a photography business. Drawing inspiration from the whirlwinds of marriage, parenthood, and the media, Kayla blogs at www.utterlyinexperienced.blogspot.com, and spends the rest of her time chasing chickens, organizing junk drawers, diapering toddlers, and photographing everyone willing to step in front of her lens.

 

Featured image courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens.