Enjoying One Another
in Our Families
When we engage in what’s around us, and make time and effort
to tune in and enjoy our family, the message that we love them is clear. What
are some new ways to enjoy our families doing wholesome recreation, at this precious time we have now, in
order that this won’t be our regret?
Ideas Families have Tried:
--A Family Dance.
The Martins love to turn on music and dance around the
family room together. Whenever they plan
a reunion, they include a sound system and an assignment to a tech-savvy son to
gather upbeat music for a fun dance!
Gradually, all have learned to let inhibitions go and just have fun
moving to the music together.
--Build a cardboard play house or two.
One of my kids favorite memories are when Mark got some refrigerator boxes—one for each child—at an appliance store. He let them help design their own playhouse, complete with cut out windows and doors. We let the little kids bring their stuff inside and let their imaginations take off! The family room was filled with a little cardboard village for several days. After the newness wore off, but the kids were not ready to part with their houses, we moved them to the back porch for a while. Other times, we acquired one big appliance box and made one house for the little kids to share. Mark rigged a lightbulb attached to an extention cord, in the ceiling of one of them, so a child could read in his special house!
--Go for a walk or a bike ride. In the poor country of Albania, the National
Pasttime is going for a walk! It was refreshing
for my missionary son to see so many folks out and about on foot, cheerfully
greeting each other while taking a walk!
The Stevensons like to load up bikes in the back of a truck
and take them down to their Community’s man-made lake, where they ride around
the perimeter. It is especially fun to
do this at dusk, right when the lights come on and reflect in the water. Their route is a good four-miles, a perfect
workout and an enjoyable family outing.
--Go to the Park.
The Bensons take the kids to the park regularly, to get the
wiggles out. Sarah always brings her
camera and gets some great shots of her kids playing. She noticed that especially her young boys
had a particular need to show her what they could do: “Look at me, Mom!” they called as they did
tricks on the playground equipment or improved on how far they could swing on
the monkey bars!
--Have a Taffy Pull.
Our family enjoys making honey taffy. Mark simply heats up one cup of honey on the
stove til a drop of the boiled mixture makes a hard ball when dropped in a cup
of water. At that point, he pulls the
pan off the stove and lets it cool spread out on a jelly roll pan. The moment it is cool enough to touch, he scoops up a tablespoon of the gooey mixture with his
buttered fingers and lets someone pull!
They twist and pull til the taffy has incorporated enough air in it to
change color, then it is laid down on the pan to harden. In a few minutes it can be broken into pieces
with a butter knife handle. The pieces
of honey taffy can be wrapped in pieces of wax paper--IF there is any at all
left uneaten!
--A Cookout in the Backyard.
The Hardeman’s keep their cookouts simple. They burn extra pieces of wood in a sawed off
trash can, set on top of several bricks on the back lawn. A rack placed on top of it allows for cooking—or
long sticks work. The fire is always cozy to sit by and watch, just
right for stories or chatting together!
--Read a book, and talk about it.
Jodi found that if she read to the kids a book that she
loved and was excited to read, they would love it too! Her enthusiasm to open up each night and see
what happens to the characters rubs off on them!
The Scheiders’ came up with a wonderful plan. Suellen found a favorite book, and gave a
used copy to each family member.
Everyone read it during the first month of summer—most took only a week
or so! Every night at dinner, they all
could comment on what they had just read.
Or, mealtime conversation would consist of someone sharing the details
of the book he was currently reading, whetting another’s appetite to read it
too! It made for some great family
conversation!
--Talk, talk, talk!
Kids love to talk about themselves! Ask them open ended questions and let them learn to express themselves in a safe environment! Talk over current events.
Talk at the dinner table about what everyone learned that day. Share a talk you heard or an interesting
story you read. Tell your family about
your childhood, or your grandparents experiences. Share your ideas, and explain what you mean
in terms kids can understand, if you use a big word, ask if they understand
that word. Then take lots of time to listen to their ideas! The Karlsens like to
ask: "Did anything funny happen to anyone
today?"
--Write Letters to each other.
Sometimes it’s fun to get a real letter! Deryn felt like her student son, away at
college, needed some extra support when he couldn’t get away to come home for a
holiday. She started sending him a joke
a day, through the season. After she
exhausted all the jokes that each family member knew, she looked up some more
online! It was fun to send him a
chuckle, a little reminder each day that she cared.
--Plant a garden or a fruit tree. Let everyone participate.
Tim Yarbro learned that the family garden in the backyard
usually came up, even if he let the kids plant the seeds unsupervised. He quit hovering over them to make sure they
did it right. This way, they participate
more, and feel joy instead of stress.
Tim lets the kids help choose which seeds or starts to plant. He likes to give them ownership in the family
garden and enjoy doing the project together.
--Go visit Grandma.
Skype an Aunt or Uncle or cousin or anyone who is family! Kids gain so much from relationships with
extended family.
Mark and Susan West planned a day trip on the next school
holiday coming up, to go to the town where Granddad and Grandma had grown up. They toured the old homestead, read the
plaques on the monuments, found the grave markers of family members past
on. They talked over memories of the old
times. They decided that making the effort
to connect is worth the sacrifice, as it gives the children a better sense of
who they are, and the great people they come from.
--Attend their performances and activities.
Terri learned that it wasn’t enough for her to just be at
her kids’ games and concerts. She
learned that she gave the message she cared better, if she made the effort to
engage. She made an effort to compose a
mental list of the good plays her son made at volleyball or remembered the name
of her favorite number that her daughter played on the violin. If
she watched carefully enough to comment on what happened, the kids felt she
enjoyed supporting them. And soon, she
really did enjoy them more! Finally, if
Terri took a picture of them performing and sent it to Grandma, that was the
icing on the cake!
--Snap Chat each other.
The Bridgers started a fun family activity that shared with
each other day to day details, even if they lived far apart from each
other. Snap chat is an app that allows
them to take a quick picture of what they are doing, and send it to all family
members. Nan Bridger sends an All Call,
and everyone responds as soon as they can, with a picture of what they are
doing right now! She felt like her kin
that lived across the country knew her and she knew them better from all the
pictures!
--Play a Board Game or Do a Puzzle.
The Gaylord’s like to play games on Saturday nights. Jennie remembers longing for her parents to sit down and play games with her as a kid. They rarely did, but it was totally awesome when they did! They get out an old favorite board games like
Scrabble or Rummicub, or Ticket to Ride.
They set up a card table for a
puzzle, that each person can join in for a few pieces or more, when he or she
has time.
The Frieberg’s look for games that don’t bring such a
competitive Spirit to the family. Or those that are too strategic for kids. They
found a couple of favorite games called Tapple or Forbidden Island, in which the family can be a team. (See Us vs. the Opposition, not Us vs. Us!)
There once was a nurse who often asked her terminally ill patients if they had any regrets. “Perhaps the most universal regret dying patients expressed was that they wished they had spent more time with the people they love.
“Men in particular sang this universal lament: they ‘deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the [daily] treadmill of … work.’ Many had lost out on choice memories that come from spending time with family and friends. They missed developing a deep connection with those who meant the most to them. “ Dieter F. Uctdorf https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/of-regrets-and-resolutions?lang=eng
If we parents clear our calendars or to do lists and make
time and energy for enjoying our family, they will feel our love and family
bonds will grow strong.
What’s your favorite way to enjoy your family? Please comment below or at
ideasformypocketcomments@gmail.com
Labels: Families--Enjoying One Another; Children--Wholesome Recreational Enjoyment
