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Why Our Family is So Important to Us?
Family is a valuable gift to us from God. Our family makes us feel secure and we know that there is someone to count on when we are in trouble. They are always there for you through good and bad times. You can fight against all odds in life with their support. Every family is different. However, strong families share certain common features. They listen and talk to family members and allow both children and parents to have a say in every matter, talk about their disappointments and expectations and share their opinions. Spending quality time, maintaining good communication, appreciating every family member and acknowledging their talents, strengths and differences and working as a team are few ways to build strong family relationships. With your family around, you will not feel alone in the world. Family values inculcated in us will help us make morally correct decisions. Whether joint or nuclear, families play a vital role in our life and it is important for every one of us to give importance and spend time with family members.
3 Benefits of Spending Time with Family
Strengthens Family Bonding
Whether it is fancy activities or simple low-cost home-based activities spending time with your family will strengthen the family bonds. The family will get connected emotionally, which is a good thing.
2. Improves Child's Academic Performance
Parents' guidance and help will improve the academic success of a child. When you spend time helping them in their studies, you are letting the child understand that you value education and expect them to put their best efforts.
3. Encourages Communication
By spending time with your kids, you are developing a positive atmosphere that encourages open communication. This is very important as your child will feel comfortable to talk and discuss anything.
10 Fun Things to Do with Your Family at Home
1. Watch Family Movies
Movie nights with family is an awesome way to spend some quality time together. Whether you are in a large or small family set-up, there is nothing to beat the experience of cuddling up to watch a great movie. Also, it is one of the inexpensive and easy recreational activities to enjoy with your family. All you need to do is prepare a tub of popcorn and play the film on your TV and you are all set to enjoy the night. Online streaming of movies has opened up an array of viewing options, which sometimes can be overwhelming. If you are confused about the movie to pick that everyone in the family will agree on then here is a curated list of great family movies available on Netflix. From uplifting live-action of real-life heroes to animated movies, the list features various genres and eras. We are pretty sure that both parents and kids will enjoy these family movies.
Some Movies to Watch with Your Kids
- Hugo
- Bridge to Terabithia
- Garuda in My Heart
- The Blue Umbrella
- Hope Aur Hum
- The Last Kids on Earth
- The Wishing Tree
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
- Mowgli- The Legend of the Jungle
- The Tale of Princess Kaguya
2. Enjoy a Scavenger Hunt
The old-fashioned scavenger hunt is an awesome way to have some outdoor fun that also will keep your children away from electronic gadgets. You can do it anywhere - when you are on holiday or at home. All you need is a few participants and some inspiration. It is also a great way for kids to know a new location or learn geography. When planned properly, the scavenger hunt will be a fun activity that gets the entire family participating and moving together. It creates a fun memory that the family can cherish forever. While planning the game keep certain things in mind. Consider the participant’s age, so that the locations, prize and clues are appropriate to age. The prize should be placed at the end of the hunt or include a prize for all the participants if they are working as a team. Walk the route, so that you can be sure that the clues point to the right locations and you can estimate the time to complete the hunt. It is not necessary that you need to plan a scavenger hunt only when you are hosting a birthday party or an event. Turn any day into a fun family scavenger hunt for some memorable moments.
3. A BBQ Party with Family
There is nothing in the world that matches to the experience of spending some enjoyable moments with your kids making things. Hosting a wonderful BBQ party in your backyard or terrace is a great way to add some spunk to the family parties. Although getting together with your family is enjoyable, but preparing meals can be stressful and exhausting. However, careful planning will ensure that you will not only deliver delicious eats, but also you will have time to enjoy yourself. Plan for starters that is easy and quick to whip up like grilled marinated prawns, grilled sweet potatoes, and chicken skewers. For the main course choose recipes that will not stress you out. Also, at the same time, the dishes should get everyone’s taste buds tingling like a veggie burger, that are not only super filling, but healthy too or chicken barbecue pizza. No BBQ get-together is complete without desserts. Try something exotic like strawberry-chocolate kebabs to end your party in a perfect way. Kids will especially love these delicious kebabs. So, fire up the BBQ grill, take the tongs and get ready for cooking.
4. Clean the House
Living with your family is warm and cozy. However, it does come with its share of challenges. Many women often complain that their children and spouses do not pitch in enough while doing household chores. If you are in the same boat then follow different strategies that will help you get all the members of your family in the groove and come forward to clean. Assign tasks that someone likes to do or does not detest. A routine of family cleaning will only evolve over time. Do not criticize because they don’t complete the tasks the way you want it, which will kill their motivation. Work along with them for a couple of times, so that they know what has to be done. The entire family can brainstorm ideas that will help everyone to work together in greater connection and harmony.
5. Indoor Picnic
When the weather doesn’t permit for outdoor picnic or for some reason you are unable to step outside the house then the bright idea is to organize a fabulous indoor picnic right in your living room, an ultimate picnic destination. Everything you want will be handy and the weather will also be always perfect! Just move the furniture out of your way and bring in small and big pillows, scatter them around and spread some duvets or blankets and viola you are all set for your indoor picnic. If you want an outdoor feel then pick nature sound mp3 music. Get the delicious food from your picnic basket out. If you enjoy a pizza party then order some pizzas. Lie back and relax. All in all, good food, fun games and family time together will make your indoor picnic a huge hit and everyone will look forward for a repeat performance!
6. Play Board Games
A child is glued to the TV while his sibling is busy with the mobile and parents are surfing on their desktops or laptops. The only noise in the entire room is of the electronic devices – this is a familiar family scene of the 21st century. Although technology is beneficial, it is not helping families build relationships. The old-fashioned Board Games are an excellent way to connect communities and families. It is a welcome change to the fast-paced lifestyle of today to bring the entire family together. If you want to create momentous memories for your children, the low-tech and quiet board games are just perfect. Fill the room with love, laughter and conversation and bond with your family by playing board games.
7. Camping in the Backyard
Family vacation during summer is the most anticipated event of the year for all the family members. However, for some reason, if you are not able to take some time off from your busy schedule then do not despair. Plan a mini getaway right in your backyard! Just put aside the electronic gadgets and pitch a tent on your terrace or in your backyard for a night under the bright stars. Take help from the family members to set up a cosy nest.
Pitch in the tent on a flat and smooth surface that you can call your home for a night. If you want additional comfort then go for some extra cushions and air mattresses, which will make your experience a lot happier. Set the scene with some string lights or hanging lamps around your tent. The soft glow from them will illuminate the space and makes it comfortable to spend the night outdoors with your family. There is plenty of adventure you can plan outdoors. Stargazing is one of the popular activities while camping. You can even organize scavenger hunts, or enjoy campfire stories. You can fire up the grill for some delicious BBQ dinner. Ensure that the whole event feels like you are in a real campsite. Don’t dash back every few minutes into the house. This kind of camping is unique and fun for all age group kids as adventure is right outside their home.
8. Gardening with Family
Earlier in the absence of social media and technology, parents and kids interacted with one another. Taking time out to spend time together with your family is important to connect and bond with each other. One activity that helps in doing this is starting a family garden. Involve the entire family while planning this space to make it memorable and fun. Give each member of the family their individual garden space. Allow them to pick their plants and maintain them. Grow plants that you can harvest in 30 – 45 days like lettuce and radishes. At the end of the season plan for a gala harvest party with a fancy dinner using homegrown produce.
9. Family Slumber Party
A slumber party with family is a great way to bond and create loving lifelong memories. There are several fun-filled ideas to make your evening unforgettable and cherish for long. If your family loves camping then bring great outdoors indoors. Choose any room that is large enough to accommodate a tent and fill it with pillows, beddings and sleeping bags. Create a faux-forest by placing a few houseplants around the ‘campground’. Get creative and make your camping interesting.
The Game-a-Thon is another fabulous idea wherein you can set everyone to get into jammies. Start with the favourite board games that are easy and move on to thoughtful options. Make game-themed snacks and have prizes for those who win the game. A theme party wherein you can choose sports, travel or anything that the entire family will agree on will work great for a sleepover party. Make the night special with snacks, imagination, cuddles and giggles for a pleasurable memory-making!
10. Homemade Candles
Candle making is a fun way to keep children engaged at home while creating a useful and beautiful resource for your home. Also, candle-making is perfect for those who are not crafty. It is messy but fun too! Candle-making with your kids is not the same as making it with your friends or on your own. It is an experience. Hot wax, hot stove and hundreds of questions are what you can anticipate in this venture at home.
If your kids are in the age group of 4 – 6 years then go for Rolled Candles, 6 – 12 years – Dipped Candles and more than 12 years can try Molded Candles. If you have never tried this activity before, it may seem a bit daunting. But, make this a fun activity for your kids by not emphasizing perfection! Allow them to improve their skills gradually and celebrate the occasion by creating candles with your family.
4 Ways to Increase Your Family Time
Are you juggling a lot of things and find it difficult to devote some time to your family? Then these tips will help you increase your quality family time.
- Make a To-Do List and divide it into three categories – Do, Don’t and Delegate. Go through each item in your daily schedule and put it inappropriate category.
- Involve Kids in certain household chores like setting the table or folding clothes, which will not only be a bonding time but also will teach valuable skills to your kids.
- Be productive at your work which will ensure that you have relaxed and stress-free time at home.
- Make use of technology like for example shop online for your groceries and other staples that will save your time and money. Set reminders on your smartphone for important dates like school holidays, business trips, field trips, or parent-teacher meetings.
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Cook and Eat:
Always remember the family who eats together, stays together. So make it a point to have a “Family Meal Night”, where you and everyone prepare food; you can even have a world cuisine day, and enjoy delicacies from various countries. This is a great lesson in teamwork and everyone will love the tasty meal cooked together. Encourage your child to come with her own dish, of course with you as a helper along the way!