With the tailend of summer right around the corner, many of us may be looking at some refreshing ways our family can grow closer together before the start of another school year commences. Perhaps you are looking for some ways that you can incorporate a few regular practices that can be maintained throughout the year as a means to keep the family regularly unified and working as one. It can sometimes feel like a struggle to find ways the whole family can grow and work together. It can be a challenge to curate to different tastes, personalities, and ages. Despite the challenge, there are numerous ways you can satisfy each member of the family’s personal interest, and age gap, simply by adding a few new activities to the weekly routine that will become a part of your way of life. It is amazing what a few tailored moments can bring to creating a home and lifestyle that brings the family together through both work and leisure. Here are a few activities and practices you can implement at home to bring more unity to your family.
Family Project: One of the best ways to bring everyone together through work is starting a family project where each member can participate and work together on. The wonderful thing about this is that the project itself can be tailored to the general interest of the entire family. Perhaps it could be a woodworking project such as building some patio furniture which can be a great skill to pass on to your children. While woodworking can be tailored more towards older children, there is also the option of raising an animal or two like chickens or bunnies or starting a family garden. Both are great ways the family project can fit for all ages. From building a garden to tending it, and the daily responsibilities that come with animals, you will find these projects to be a beautiful way of bringing the whole family together year round. The regular upkeep of a garden will provide numerous educational opportunities for your children, along with the consistent development of responsibility and teamwork. It’s all about finding a hobby or project that feels well suited to the lifestyle and ages within your family. The wonderful thing about a family project is that you bring everyone together to work while it still feels like play. It is one of the most productive ways of spending quality time together.
Family & Friend Penpals: The art of letter writing is one which has slowly dwindled away, but it is not completely dead. Bringing back letter writing can be a great way of adding a refreshing practice in your home that everyone will love, and all ages can participate. Each member can choose who they wish to write to. It can be extended to relatives like cousins and grandparents to their individual friends, and it doesn’t have to be limited to one person either. You can set up a special time during the week where everyone gathers to do their own letter writing. Maybe it’s setting up a space in the living room or kitchen, or taking everyone outdoors to find a nice spot on a blanket or lawn chair to put pen to paper. The great thing about this activity, besides the obvious growing closer to those individuals you write to, is that it's a lifestyle practice that the family can bond over while each person still feels like it is something they do on their own. Everyone can feel free to share regular updates whenever they receive a letter from a loved one. The excitement of going to pick up or drop off the mail as everyone is waiting or ready to send something out can become a fun little activity that quickly becomes a part of the weekly routine for the whole family. It is such a simple little task that you would be surprised how much it brings everyone together.
Family Book Club or Book Exchange: Another great activity to add to your routine is a family book club or exchange. Depending on the age groups in your home you can have several members read the same book together, or individually, and plan out times to talk about it. You can make those book talks special by enjoying some nice snacks and refreshments, really try to make it a special moment with just a few simple touches like lemonade or cookies. A book exchange could be fun if you have older children. Each person picks out a book they like and after reading their own everyone exchanges books with one another. Depending on how many are participating this will be a great way to refresh everyone's reading list and have them experience a piece of someone else’s interests. A family book club can bring everyone together to share over the thrills of the latest read and is a great way for everyone to taste each other's reading taste and preference. It is another great way of productively growing together as a family while also allowing each member to enjoy a hobby in a way that interests them.
New Parish Visit: Growing spiritually as a family is extremely important. From praying to attending mass together, sharing the faith is one of the strongest ways to unify any family. A great way to continue growing both in unity and in the faith is by planning periodic visits to new parishes in your area. They could be done during the week for weekday mass or one Sunday out of the month. Making a day trip out of it can be a fun way for the family to enjoy a little roadtrip to make memories and discover more beautiful churches that are close by. This can be a great way to let kids help pick and plan where they would like to visit and see. This doesn't just help build up the love for their faith but can make each family member feel like they get to plan and contribute to the family's itinirary. It is a wonderful way to get everyone involved from picking the next parish to preparing the road trip snacks.
Rosary Walk: A family that prays together, stays together. This simple daily practice can surprisingly be a struggle to make happen everyday when things get busy. Which is why this last bit of summer can be the perfect time to implement a new daily practice before things get busy. Once it becomes a part of your family’s everyday life it will be much easier to maintain once life gets hectic with school, holidays, and extracurriculars. A simple fifteen minutes is all it takes and taking the family outdoors to be in nature while praying the rosary is a beautiful way of spending time together and growing spiritually. This can really help make prayer time more appealing to the younger and more fidgety members of the family.
Sunday Afternoon Tea: An all time favorite in our house, a Sunday afternoon tea can be a great way to start a new tradition at home and can be just the thing to create wholesome bonding moments for the family. This fun activity is a great way to make Sundays about rest and family. This tasty and relaxing tradition can give everyone the chance to come together and converse with one another. It is a chance for sharing about one another, planning future activities, or reminiscing on past adventures. Tea time truly brings the family together and those simple tea sandwiches, treats, and a warm cup of tea have a beautiful way of creating a warm and inviting atmosphere where everyone feels loved and cared for.
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