The Incredible Reasons Why Family Time Means Everything

Spending Time With Family

If you ask people to list some of their favorite things to do, spending time with family is sure to be at the top of that list.

We repeat this often because it’s true. Most of us really do enjoy spending quality time with the people we love the most.

So why is quality time with our families often the first thing to go as our schedules get busier and busier each year?

We find ourselves half-listening to how our kid’s day at school went while also shooting a quick email back to our boss.

The next thing you know, we’re handing bags of fast food to the back seat as we race to practice instead of sitting down for a meal together.

And we’re quickly kissing our partners good night while secretly hoping they don’t want anything else from us because it would just be one more thing on our to-do list.

And yet the benefits of family time tell us that this is exactly what we all need the most.

Benefits of Family Time

• Creates a strong bond between family members
• Fosters good communication
• Helps kids do better in school
• Allows parents to model good behavior
• Lowers the risk of behavioral problems in kids
• Improves mental health
• Boosts self-confidence
• Helps everyone build conflict resolution skills
• Reduces stress

So when we find ourselves slipping back into old habits, it’s more important than ever that we get back to the basics and make spending time with family our top priority.

And it doesn’t have to be difficult to create the opportunity for quality family time to exist in each day.

Improving family time can be as simple as:

• Being present
• Enjoying the moment
• Eliminating distractions
• Actively listening
• Appreciating each family member’s contribution to our lives

So what are you waiting for? There’s no better time than today to make family time the top priority in your life again.

Why Family Time is Important

But here’s the thing, it’s a lot easier to make family time inside of your household a priority than it is with your extended family members outside of your household.

And since some conflict is guaranteed in every extended family, why is family time important with them anyway? Isn’t life busy enough as it is?

While having limited time is a valid point, just remember that quality time with family should trump your other obligations.

Just ask anyone on their death bed what they wish they had more time for. I bet none of them say they want to work more, to shop more, or to surf the internet more.

They’ll say they want to spend their last moments with family, of course.

Like it or not, we’re stuck with our extended families for life. And even on our death beds, we realize that we don’t even want it to end then. And that’s a good thing.

Co-workers, friends, and even significant others often come and go. But only in rare cases do we ever stop seeing our families on a regular basis.

They’re often the people that drive us nuts, but they’re also the ones who have our backs when we need them most.

When I went through my divorce, one of my best friends completely disappeared from my life.

She never even checked on me once to make sure that I was okay. And she even stopped responding when I reached out to her.

And that was after she encouraged me to walk away from a bad situation for years.

The thing is, I was going through something difficult. And apparently, that just wasn’t as fun as coming to my house for a barbecue or meeting up after work for cocktails. So she chose to walk away.

Ending my marriage and losing my best friend at the same time hurt more than I ever would have imagined, but fortunately, my family was there every step of the way.

My grandma took the three of us into her own home so that we had a safe place to stay.

My dad and step-mom picked up classroom snacks for my daughter when I was stuck at home with my sick son.

My aunt talked to me on the phone for hours while I sobbed.

And many other family members prayed for me.

What have you gone through in your life where your family has had your back?

What people have disappeared from your life, and who stayed even when times got tough?

Just think of the last time you were sick, injured, depressed, lost a job, had a baby, or had surgery. Oftentimes, it’s our families that stop whatever they’re doing to help us out in our time of need.

Family time is so important because it helps us form a strong bond with people we can depend on for life.

Just think about it, do you want to be the family that actively avoids each other or who bickers constantly when they’re together?

Or do you want to be the family that has Sunday brunch every week or who sits down for a card game with drinks and snacks?

Remember, like most things in life, one person can change everything for an entire group of people.

• It only takes one person to recognize the importance of having a strong family to make it happen.
• It only takes one person to focus on the good in each family member and to recognize their contribution to the family unit as a whole.
• It only takes one person to teach everyone else the coping skills necessary for dealing with each other during an extended period of time.
• It only takes one person to ensure that fun family activities are scheduled and that alone time is also valued.
• It only takes one person to recognize why spending time with family is so important in the first place.

The best part is that that one person can be you.

Fun Things to Do With Family

To get you started, here are 50 ideas for fun things you can do with your family:

1. Play board games
2. Play card games
3. Puzzles
4. Coloring
5. Mazes
6. Word searches
7. Crossword puzzles
8. Read
9. Movies
10. Dance
11. Crafts
12. Painting
13. Minute it to win it challenges
14. Video game competition
15. Scavenger hunt
16. Make snacks
17. Cook
18. Bake
19. Decorate cookies
20. Dip pretzels or fruit in chocolate
21. Make homemade candies or marshmallows
22. Drink hot chocolate
23. Make a game out of decluttering or chores
24. Garden
25. Play with pets
26. Picnic
27. Go fruit picking
28. Visit an orchard
29. Go camping
30. Bowling
31. Play arcade games
32. Water park
33. Amusement park
34. Go on a walk
35. Hike
36. Kayak
37. Canoe
38. Swimming
39. Boat ride
40. Jet skiing
41. Tubing
42. Water skiing
43. Downhill skiing
44. Cross country skiing
45. Snowshoeing
46. Sledding
47. Luging
48. Ice skating
49. Sports
50. Volunteer together

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How can you make family time a priority in your life? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.