“If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” -Mother Teresa
In this messy world, you hear hundreds of antidotes for the issues that plague society but I agree with Mother Teresa. If you want to change the world, start at home.
From a young age, I was taught that family comes first. We were a family that worked together and played together; quality time was precious and memorable. I hope to instill these values in the V5.
Three practical ways to incorporate family time into busy lives are to:
- Enjoy Family Meals,
- Find time for one-on-one memories,
- Escape for a weekend, and
- Keep Daddy and Mommy, Husband and Wife.
Family Meals
What parent wouldn’t want their child to have…
- Higher grades,
- Larger vocabulary,
- Higher self-confidence and self-efficacy,
- Greater sense of resilience, with
- Lower risks of substance abuse, mental illness and obesity.
As well as, a better sense of personal and family identity.
All of these attributes start around the table. Researchers continue to observe that families who dine together for 4 or more meals each week experience the aforementioned benefits.
Eating together as a family has taken on many forms for over the years but one thing has stayed the same- we eat together at least one time each day: breakfast, lunch or dinner.
One-on-One Memories
We cherish our breakfasts with each child which we have blogged about in the past. But, recently the girls got to take Daddy and Papa Brett to their Daddy (and Grand-Daddy) Daughter Dance.
Theo and I took this opportunity to have a date night of our own, filled with a trip to the library, dinner and finished up with some time at a local pool (Thank you, Diane!).
Weekend Escape
Finding a new environment to explore as a family can be fun and affordable. Whether it’s a day trip to a nearby park or forest preserve, visit to friends and family, or a vacation destination, new settings can provide the reset that families are seeking. We recently spent one night, two days in the Dells.
While my attention was split between a professional conference and family, it was magical to watch the kids experience a hotel and resort for the first time. We packed in two waterparks, a four-story play park, go-karts, and arcade games which were perfect ingredients for family fun!
Stay Husband and Wife
This is the most difficult task for Frank and I. We aspire to get away each week but if it’s not broomball season it turns out to be monthly.
Whether it be a quick walk after dinner, golf outing, breakfast at a new pancake place, or a strategy game after the kids go down, this time is cherished. It helps us connect, share our days, and stay husband and wife.
Bump 2 Bab[y]ies 