You’ve been stuck at home with your family for too long. Your dinner conversation is BORING, and you opt to spend time in front of the TV rather than with your parents and siblings. Here are 9 ideas to help you embrace family-time and renew those tired relationships:
Dinner Time:
Eat dinner at least twice a week as a family. Before you chow down, say your prayers. Genuinely thank God for what He’s given you and ask Him to mend the brokenness in your personal life or the world around you.
Re-instill Family Game Night:
Once a week (or once a month), pull out a plethora of games and let the competition begin. Select from your favorite board games, video games, or the games you used to love as a kid (anyone up for a game of Chutes and Ladders or Candyland?) Break out loads of snacks and start making some memories.
Discuss the Daily News:
There’s a lot going on in the world, and Social Media gives you an up-close look at the horrors and uncertainties of life. Talk about these occurrences with your family. What do your parents think? How does this all impact their daily life? Do your siblings understand what’s going on in the world, and do they even care? What emotions do you have about what our society is facing? What events led to such atrocities? How would you like to see the world evolve and change?
Be Your Role Model:
Everyone has at least one person they look up to. Who is that person for you? Perhaps you have the delight of looking up to someone in your own household! Practice emulating the things you like about that person. Practice being the person you want to be. By focusing on the positive qualities of other people, you’ll become a more enjoyable person to live with. Plus, you might realize that the things you admire about someone else are qualities that you already possess.
Play 20 Questions:
Ask each family member 20 questions about their day. Be silly and serious, broad and detailed, basic and clever. You’ll gain a better perspective of the makings of each individual’s life.
Clue Your Parents In:
Tell your parents about your day and what’s going on in your life. Tell them how you’re feeling, what you’re going through, what you like and dislike about life right now. Don’t give them short comments, really delve into the issues you’re facing and what you’re experiencing.
Read the Bible:
Take time every day or once a week to read through a verse of scripture. Have each family member take turns reading a portion of the scripture. Then, when everyone’s finished reading, ask questions. Every family member needs to come up with at least one question. As a family, answer the question, and if you don’t know the answer – look it up! If you can’t find the answer, contact your pastor!
Podcast Night:
Rather than sitting down to watch a movie, gather around and listen to a podcast. Your parents probably have a ton of podcasts they subscribe to, so let them pick one of their favorites to share. When the episode is over, spend some time discussing what you learned, what you didn’t understand and how you agreed or disagreed with the content.
Recall Old Memories:
Go through old photos of when you, your parents and even your grandparents were young. Listen to the stories behind the pictures. When and where were they taken, what was happening, who was involved. Let these memories provoke new memories and an opportunity to learn more about your loved ones and the journey they took to get to where they are today.
