Our lives are a whirlwind. As any parent knows, the days fly by and life just doesn’t seem to stop. If it’s not one thing it’s another. Downtime seems non-existent. Chores, tasks, work – but where is the FUN? Is this REALLY what it means to have a family???
Yes. Family means non-stop.
Non-stop love. Non-stop noise. Non-stop life. It’s never going to stop so what you have to do is make the most of the time that you have.
Spending Quality Time With Your Family
We have 4 kids, 4 times the fun right? Sheesh, yes (and love, noise and life!). Over the last year, as a family of 6 we have found various ways to make sure that we stay connected. Here are a few tips to stay connected in a quality way that I hope help!
No Family Politics at Dinner
We try to make it a point at least 3 nights a week to all sit down and do dinner together. During this time, we turn the TV off – as well as keep all smart phones and tablets AWAY from the dinner table.
No family politics are discussed, no tattle telling, no nit picking – we just try to have a discussion about life. We get each child’s good and bad for the day and talk thru both – it’s one way we try to keep an open communication line between us and the kids. We really try to listen and be attentive because we all know what happens after dinner! CHAOS.
Schedule a Family Movie Night
Since getting our Samsung ES8000, we’ve made it a point to watch family movies together regularly. While typically we use the Netflix app to find a family friendly show, sometimes we’ll use VUDU to download a recent release.
We pop popcorn and try to make it as drama free as possible. The little ones don’t typically make it very long, so we will do this right about their bedtime.
Plan Regular Family Outings
With each season, we have regular family activities we do. Then there are always the one off’s, like this past week – we surprised the kids with an evening trip to the state fair. We do try to throw the surprise element in, makes the complaining less 🙂
Find a Way to Connect With Each Child Individually
Each weekend when I go do errands, I pick a kid to spend the afternoon with. I try to include them in the grocery shopping, well at least the older ones.
I’ll sneak something in off their endless “can we get this list” and try to do some extra activity like going to lunch or getting our nails done – just to have that 1 on 1 time that we don’t get enough of with 4 kids.
Make Memories Wherever You Go
It’s not about money. It’s not about the creative adventure ahead. It’s about making memories that your child will cherish. So whether it’s a trip the park or a vacation to Italy (see me roll my eyes) – just make the best of it.
How do you spend quality time with your family?
Check out the Samsung ES8000 Smart TV
Make sure to check out SKYPE – yes you can SKYPE from your smart TV!
