Build Strong And Happy Family Connections In 2021

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You may be sharing a roof with the other members of your family but how well do you know them? How well do they know you? Think about it. Are your kids in a separate room right now? How about your partner or spouse? If the whole family is hanging out in the living room, what are you all doing? Are you really connecting with one another? Or are you each on separate devices doing your own things? How many words have been spoken out-loud in your household today? If you’re wishing for a closer, happier, stronger family bond, but not quite sure how to facilitate a more un-plugged relationship, here are some activities your entire family can enjoy while truly getting to know one another.

Exercise Together

Are you separating yourself from your family when you work out? Do you and your partner exercise at different times in different places, away from each other and the kids for several hours? Why not do it together? Exercising as a family is a great way to bond while teaching kids the importance of setting and meeting physical fitness goals. Go for a walk, a bike ride or a run as a family. Invite your kids to join you in your yoga practice. Have a dance party in the den. Visit an open-air park with an obstacle course in your area. Don’t assume the kids can’t keep up. Set the bar for them and they will most likely exceed your expectations as well as their own.

Travel Together

When you feel the need to get away, leave the house, but take the family with you. Give the babysitter a day off and make a trip to a family-friendly museum, concert or theater everyone will enjoy. Embark on a road trip to a place you’ve never explored before. Hand your kids a map and let them choose the spot. Invite them to help out with the planning. Will they choose a cabin in the mountains or a coastal beach resort? Abandon the stressful detail planning altogether and opt for all-inclusive family cruises. Connect and learn more about each other while trying new things in new places.

Learn a New Skill Together

Learning together is an awesome way to connect. Try out a new kitchen tool or recipe as a family while cooking or baking in the kitchen. Let your kids decide what’s for dinner and make it with them. Do a giant jigsaw puzzle. Spend hours of quality time talking to each other while improving important spatial reasoning skills. Your kids won’t even realize they are learning; they’ll just love being with you. Build something. Whether it’s a fort, a robot or a dresser, let your imaginations run wild while you all learn the foundations of structural components and create something awesome as a family.

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Read together

It’s no secret that reading to and with your kids is good for their brain development. Take a few minutes or more each day to sit with your family over a great book. The types of books your kids want to read will tell you a lot about their personalities and preferences. Likewise, when it’s your turn to choose a story, your family book club members can learn something about you too. If your life is a little too hectic for a regular story time, try listening to a well-performed audiobook in the car on the way to soccer practice or dance class. You may find it just as entertaining as watching a movie, if not more so, and your family will have many opportunities for engaging conversations to follow.

It can be really hard to connect with others in a world full of distractions. It can also be really easy to let the distractors keep you apart from those closest to you. Without realizing it, the magic that holds your family together can dissipate when you aren’t actively communicating on a regular basis. There’s no need to abandon your apps if they make you happy, but don’t get lost in them alone. Take your family with you and share your interests for a stronger family connection that will last a lifetime.

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