Family time matters.
Family time is one of the most powerful tools you can you use to keep your children safe. Time invested in your family will help your children avoid making bad choices. Does it even matter if one of your kids’ parents is in prison? Yes, it matters even more.
Life is busy and your life is full of stress. If you are going to make it through this, you have to remember what your priorities are. You are on a mission to save your family. Your number one goal is to build a solid foundation for your family to thrive in spite of the prison experience you are having right now. Creating family bonding times and fun memories is even more important for your family than it is for intact, stable families. Your family is at a huge disadvantage right now.
Don’t be too alarmed!
It is not beyond repair. With some intentional planning, you can change the course of your family’s future. The best part is that the most important thing you need to do is have fun together! Yes, I promise you it is true. Laugh together and watch the stress decrease, conflict reduce, and smiles return. Your children DESERVE to feel loved, valued, and important to you. Doing things together as a family sends the message that they are all of those and more!
As you consider how to begin spending time together as a family, here are 5 things to do as a family:
- Eat together. This is such a great way to connect and relax together. Sharing food decreases emotional and mental barriers and increases a sense of belonging and connectedness.
- Take a walk together. It doesn’t matter where you live, you can find a place to take a walk. Parks, stairwells, neighborhoods, malls, etc. are all great places to take a walk and talk about what you see, listen to their troubles and triumphs, and share your experiences with them. A walk creates lots of opportunities to share together.
- Cook a meal. This takes eating together to the next level. Turn on some music and work together to create your meal. Your kids might start out complaining, but they will end up having an experience they will never forget.
- Play a game. There are so many games to play together—board games, card games, make believe games, role playing games, baseball, kick ball, tennis, soccer, basketball— the list just keeps going! Choose something new to play at least once a month, but play together at least once a week.
- You can read books aloud together, or just set aside time when everyone is reading to themselves. The age of your children, and their reading levels, will determine how you spend your reading time together. It doesn’t matter how you read together, but you must read together EVERY DAY! You are learning and growing together and sharing an intimate time that will connect you as a family.
These are five really simple things you can do as a family to start you on your journey of family time. Pick one to start doing today!
I am rooting for you!
Cathy