Spending time with your kids: Family Day, a tradition of bond

August 8th, 2010

What is on the plate of your family? Work, volunteering, sports, school, groups, clubs, social activities, household chores? Have you ever wondered how you will keep your family in bondage? I worked as a child and family counselor for over ten years and keeping families in bondage was a particular goal of mine. Fourteen years ago when I had my daughter for the first time, the goal became personal. As my family grew, I knew I had to take a deeper commitment to the time spent to maintain our relations. I wanted to avoid the pitfalls of my clients who have found their family disconnected during critical stages of development. I could see that all the challenges facing my clients could be a challenge for me too. Then I came up with the idea of celebrating a weekly tradition called on Family Day. > The activities changed as the children were older and in films, tours and adventures one day. But when the day was done, we felt connected to a busy long week. Family Day might be a tradition to your advantage. He has made many of my clients bring families, some who were on the edge of the disconnection. Here’s how it works: Choose a day: We’ve chosen Sunday. One day is really a perfect amount of time to do special activities for each person. If you find a whole day is too hard on your calendar, then an evening might work too. For example, a Friday night game the family can be fun or a pizza on Saturday and a movie might work. Or develop after you already have in your calendar as the church and breakfast.
clock set: When our children were young, they generally belong in our bed when we woke up cuddling, wrestling, or playing a guessing game. Now they are older, we meet on the couch for something warm to drink, talk or tell jokes, then head to the breakfast table.
Little Time: Each holiday has a party. Our festival is Family Day breakfast. Everyone has a task that we all work hard to make the meal an event. My son has learned to make coffee (with supervision) when he was four and my daughter made her “famous” pancakes. We do not hold back at this meal. Our breakfast is filled with goodies.
Family Day of the magazine: While we have spent years writing a list of activities on a piece of paper, a Family Day, j have suggested that we write our lists in a newspaper. From that moment, after breakfast we make our Family Day Journal and in turn the writing of our special list. We’ve even added a page of family news. We look back fondly on our list every so often reminded of our last days with family.
Family Day Activities: In our family, we run eight activities of the Family Day. As four of us, each of us have two choices. The writer must choose who is the first, second and third. The writer shares his last pick. Ideas vary with the age of your children. My son had a tendency to try to hide-n-seek when he was young so that my daughter had a tendency to choose an art project. Now, they choose the movies, games, or shopping. Whatever the choice, we must all participate. Some suggestions are hide-n-seek, a game table in a cafe, planting a garden, baking cookies, making paper dolls, playing with dolls, build a city out of blocks, which are a scary story, go for ice cream, rent movies at home or go to the cinema, painting another portrait on canvas placemats, decorative birdhouses, Christmas gifts, carving pumpkins, climbing, the host of an international Ping-Pong Invitational together puzzles, playing house, I play spy a shell special we found on the beach our last day of the family, playing bingo, make family visit, adventure to a museum, telling tall tales, making models in clay, and much more. The list is the priority in terms of online time or we will put ideas in a basket and draw. Even if we have parents veto power (money or time), generally all the children selection is accepted.
Commitment: We are committed to Family Day each week, however, there are always exceptions. For example, if I go on a weekend training or my husband has a job conflict, Family Day will be held by the parent at home or we will see advance to Saturday. Our friends and family know that we are not available on Sunday, as we focus on the other. After almost 10 years, I can say that Family Day was the best thing we have in place in our little clan.

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