The school year is here again, and with it comes all the after school activities, homework, and church activities that take a break over the summer. While all of this is exciting and provides great learning experiences, it can become difficult to get in quality family time. Here are a few ways to make family time fit into your schedule!
Make meals a family affair
Try to pick at least one meal a week where everyone gathers around the table together. It might be a Sunday morning breakfast before church, or a week night when no one has an activity — whatever works for you. Take the time to gather around a table with food and fun, and give everyone a turn to talk about their weeks. Go around the able and discuss the favorite part of each week, and have some fun going over it together. There are also a ton of benefits to having family meals, such as higher grades and lower chances of poor decisions regarding drugs or alcohol. This is also a great opportunity to build connections with your kids, at any stage!
Make the most of drive time
When you are running kids here and you there, make the most of the drive time. If your child is willing, try to talk to them about what they are learning, who they’re hanging out with, and what their interests are. If they aren’t interested in talking, ask them what their favorite kind of music, radio station, or CD is, and play it on the radio. Chances are, you can learn about what they’re doing and feeling through their music, even if they don’t want to talk about it. They will also appreciate you being interested in and willing to try something they love!
Cheer each other on
Are any of your children in sports, a performing art, or a scholastic team? Try to take the time to really be present at these events and cheer the kids on! Bring some snacks to a sporting event your child is in, whether little league or varsity, and have fun watching them shine! Go to the concerts, the meets, the competitions, and enjoy that time together. You will encourage your children to keep trying new things because they know you will cheer them on, and these events are often less expensive than more formal events.
Don’t let the school year sprint take away from your family time! Using these three opportunities to spend time with your family, you will still have all the great conversations, memories, and laughs, without taking too much time from homework and extracurriculars.