The family bond is probably one of the most ignored parts of our daily lives; for some reason, we expect that since they are part of the family that we will have a bond. The assumption is wrong, and the evidence present is that people go through a lot of emotional struggles, with others living in the same house that have no idea of what is going on.
A good example is that for a sizable number of suicides among teens, the parents had no idea of the child’s struggle, but that is a topic for another day. The purpose of this article is to inform you on how you can spend time with your family, a step towards gaining trust from each other.
Camping Out Together
Schools do offer children camping opportunities, but you should set up camp together as a family once in a while. Camping provides team-building opportunities in setting up the tent(s), lighting the bonfire, and preparing the meals.
Another good practice for camping out is getting away from our devices for the whole weekend and having storytimes together; these present opportunities to learn what your kids go through in their lives, and vice versa. Kids love telling stories of what their parents do with their friends, so feed their needs, and they will keep coming back to you for more.
Hike the Hills Together
While trying to bond, few things beat, stuck together in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a map. You will learn how to communicate, and this gives you the chance to teach your sibling, child, or spouse the map interpretation skills you learned last week.
Who knows, you might even find out that one or more of you have an interest in bird watching or scenic views. Hiking is also a good exercise for the whole family, but don’t focus on the exercise part; think of it as bonding.
Volunteering
The community around you is part of your family in many ways, so it is vital to assist where you can make it better. Giving back to the community as a family unit is a life lesson for your children, helping them grow into concerned citizens.
Plus, it is beneficial for you to teach the kids how to take care of older citizens since you will be one yourself in the future. Other activities include feeding the homeless, joining a community cleanup activity together, etc.
Let’s See Some Birds
You have discovered your interest in birdwatching as a family, find some time in the week to do so. Let your children learn the names of these birds and issue rewards for when they get the name right, and you’ll be surprised as to how first you will become the student in the topic.
Take up Watersports
You can include this in your camping activities by renting a kayak or a canoe (you should observe all safety measures). You can also take up swimming together, playing water polo, learn fishing, or even river rafting together. Thrilling activities make your children more confident, but do not cross the line into actions that might scar your children’s future.
Winter Activities
Snowboarding, building a snowman, a good old fashion snow fight, sledding, ice skating, etc., are all fun activities for the family. If one of your family members decides to take up any winter sport, attend their training sessions and competitions as a unit; offering support helps build trust amongst each other.
Biking
Going for a bike ride together is both a good exercise and breeds healthy competition amongst you and should include rewards. Ensuring the bikes are in good shape presents another opportunity for learning and teaching life skills to your family members, especially the children. Biking can also be an excellent sport to take up for any one of you; remember to encourage and support them together.
Teaching Your Teen How To Drive
Is there a better way to impart practical knowledge than teaching your child how to drive? Maybe, maybe not, but this activity shows your child that you trust them with your life, and chances are they might repay the trust. It is also a good way of ensuring that your child can assist in driving to the hospital in emergencies.
Fixing The Family Car Together
You may have scratched the car while teaching them how to drive; worry not, you can pick up some injection molds from rydtooling and work together replacing that bumper or tail light. Other than shouting at or punishing the child, teach them how to take responsibility for their mistakes using such practices. This way, you will raise a more responsible kid while having fun!
Conclusion
Family is everything; if you take care of your family, they will take care of you when you need it most, but first, the family needs to be tight-knit. Organizing fun and challenging activities such as the ones mentioned earlier and many more will help build the family bond. Work, play, talk and communicate with each other more, if possible. Do this more often and be more creative each time.
