4 Great Tips to Maximize Family Bonding

These days, when everyone leads a non-stop, need-to-be-in-a-hundred-different-places-at-once type of lifestyle (the kids included!), it can prove difficult to set time aside for regular family bonding. However, despite how chaotic life can get, spending time with loved ones should never be anything less than a top priority! Here are some tips to help maximize family bonding no matter how young or old your children are.

Create a Safe, Shared Space

Ultimately, you should try to create a specific space in the home that every family member is drawn to after a long, tiring day at work or school. It needs to be really special if it is to lure your kids out of their bedrooms, after all! The most ideal space to do this is the living room. Transform it into a relaxing, yet entertaining family hub by filling it with ample opportunity for family fun.

A sizeable TV for movie marathons, a cozy reading nook for story time, and a spot where you keep a variety of educational toys or board games that are reserved for when the whole family sits down to play are all excellent ideas. Finally, ensure that the room is super cozy and inviting throughout the year by installing a fireplace, such as those traditional and contemporary designs available at stonewoods.co.uk.

Create Family ‘Date Nights’

In many cases, if you don’t set a specific date and time for family bonding, your good intentions can quickly fall through. Start creating family ‘date nights’, giving each family member plenty of notice before one is set to take place. That way, no excuses can stand in the way of you all being together for at least a few hours each week.

If you have teenagers who are averse to spending time with anyone other than their friends, do your best to get them involved by giving them the power to choose the theme or activity for the majority of family ‘date nights’.

Create a Balance Between Nostalgic Activities and Doing Something New

Has it been a family tradition to make a fort in the living room and watch a classic movie together every Friday night for as long as you can remember? That’s great! However, it is important to keep the bonding opportunities fresh and exciting too. So, be sure to mix it up a bit by alternating between traditional or nostalgic activities and trying something completely different.

Start Saving

Another amazing way to bond is to take an annual family vacation. This is also a good opportunity to teach your kids the value of saving money. Buy a piggy bank or a little safe and insist that each family member contributes a small sum to the ‘vacation fund' on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis. You could turn it into a healthy competition if you have more than one child by saying that whoever contributes the most gets to choose the destination. Be sure to plan plenty of activities that allow for family fun when it is time to jet off!

Finally, don’t forget to make the most of these special times together!