How to get your family to spend more time together

It is becoming harder as the years go by to stay connected with family. Trying to manage work commitments, growing your family, and having time for your other dreams, entertainment, and aspiration can require a lot. This can become challenging for parents to continue to build and nurture a lasting family bond, which is important as children grow older. A strong bond can ensure a healthy relationship where your children are free to talk to you about what is bothering them, share their joys with you, and hopefully pass this down to their families one day. 

But as children grow and parents get busier, organised family time can feel forced and may not bring any benefits. When you spend quality time with family, it’s important that it is a group effort and you find family activities for all ages rather than choosing something ideal for adults only. When you choose activities that are suitable for all ages, you ensure that your children feel connected and seen, and not simply forced because they are children who need to follow their parents’ orders. 

If you have been struggling to get your family to spend time together, then read our tips below to help you and your loved ones reconnect in a natural and authentic way. 

Get to know each other 

The first step to ensuring your family prioritises quality family time is by getting to know each other. This includes your partner and your kids. Take time out of each day to get to know your family better. Find out what new things they enjoy doing, what they no longer like, what makes them happy, how they like spending their time and what has been happening in their lives. You would be surprised at how much has changed that you may have never picked up on because of your busy schedules. Sitting down and just taking the time to talk with your children and partner about life will be an effective way to see what you guys can do together that will be fun for all of you. Because without actually talking and seeing where everyone is mentally, you may miss something. For example, the board game you guys loved playing five years ago may not be something your kids enjoy anymore. Enforcing board games without knowing their interest at this current moment will be ineffective to the family dynamic you are trying to achieve. 

Let children choose 

As parents, you’d think you know the best way to spend time with your children, but that isn’t always the case. Your child may be into completely different things such as video games or cycling, but you will never know unless you let them decide. So, sit down with them and ask what fun activities they would like to do as a family. This can become a group decision and help bring you closer as your children will see their opinions matter. This is also a great way to build self-esteem in children, which will help them later in life. 

Try something different 

When it comes to taking time as a family, the most obvious thing to do is have a family meal together where time is scheduled to always eat together. While that is a great way to help everyone be in the same room and have proper conversations, that shouldn’t be the only way you spend time together. Find something else that can be exciting and new for all family members. For example, your family can start cycling over the weekend or go jet skiing. These are fun and adventurous activities that are guaranteed to be fulfilling for everyone involved. While this may be an expensive hobby, lenders offer leisure finance to help you purchase the necessary equipment, whether it’s a boat, jet ski, bike or more. To break it down briefly, leisure finance is a tailored financial plan that offers people finance to purchase these leisure items and pay them off in affordable monthly instalments. This can be an excellent way to incorporate something fun for the family to do away from home, without their phones, and simply gives you all time to relax, laugh and spend time together without any distractions. 

Enjoy rainy days 

Everyone loves the summer. It has glorious weather to spend the whole day outside and beautiful evenings for a family braai. But this does not mean that rainy days can’t be time spent with your child and partner. Rainy days are perfect, as no one has any plans to go out, so why not have a great time together. Make every rainy day a day where you spend time snuggled up as a family watching all your favourite movies, playing games or simply being in each other’s presence while snacking and having warm beverages in the living room. By doing this often, you create a routine that will make rainy and cold weather bearable and a time when everyone can anticipate a lovely day with the family in a calm and comfortable environment. 

Do chores together 

Chores are often the one thing that kids dislike, and that’s because the responsibilities often fall solely on them. This means they can’t binge-watch their favourite series or spend time scrolling through social media. For a teenager, this can be the worst experience ever. But, it doesn’t always have to be because you can make it into a family activity. While this isn’t an activity for kids that will be as fun as jet skiing, it can help show your kids that you are a family and that you all help one another to make your lives a bit easier. When doing chores together, such as cleaning up or washing dishes, this can be the perfect time to have a heart to heart conversations with your child. Find out what is happening in their lives and what you can do to make navigating their lives easier. While children hardly ever talk to their parents, parental advice can be useful and be exactly what they need to get out of situations. So, take a moment, sit with them, and split up chores equally to turn chores into a much more pleasant experience. 

Final thoughts 

Life will always be busy, and it will always try to push you from one direction to another. But, as important as your career and life goals are for you and your family, your family and children are just as important. Time goes by so fast, and without noticing, you can miss out on a lot. Your children will eventually move out and start their own lives. While this may be something that seems terrifying, creating a bond and prioritising family time now will ensure that you always stay closer even when you aren’t under the same roof. Family time doesn’t only benefit you in the future, but it will also create a happy life now where you and your kids get closer every day.