I like for my entire family to be together and do things together. I get tired of us running off in different directions all the time. Probably, it is because I am gone the most and when I am home want to get the chance to interact with everyone. This is getting harder and harder as my 4 kids get involved in more stuff.
Here is what we do together that seems to work. Read books outloud at the dinner table. Have family councils (discuss family plans, have devotions, etc.) Swim in the pool. Go to swim meets. (Swim team is one of the few sports where all the kids compete at the same place and time and on the same team!) Play UNO Attack. And the ever popular go on vacation.
My son is 3 now, and we have so much fun together doing things, I am thankful that you posted this - because I don't want our closeness to end as he gets older and into things. All very good ideas.
Since we don't have kids, I am going to tell you what we do when family comes to town...Jim's sister will be visiting, and we enjoy getting together with her and her husband and son while they are here. We play board games, go out to eat, go to Cedar Point, and this year we are taking in a Cleveland Indians baseball game. Now, for just Jim and I, we have a date night each week where we go out to eat, and then maybe do something else like shopping or a movie.
Growing--At that age my kids loved what we call the "tickle game." With the girls it was essentially me on the floor in the middle of the room and them playing keep away. With the boys it is me on the floor in the middle of the room and them jumping on top of me. I win whenever I can get all of them stacked up on the floor in a "Kid Pile".
Joe--I love it. Reminds me of the time we celebrated "Leap Day" by doing everything backwards. We wore our clothes backwards, sat on chairs with our heads down and feet up, we had Supper at breakfast (starting with desert), we had the kids cook the parents lunch, and had breakfast before bed! My oldest (I'm going to control my world personality) just couldn't deal with doing these thing WRONG!
Deb--don't take it personal but any date that involves shopping doesn't count in my book!
We have 5 kids & it's harder to keep close especially as they get older.Eating together is a priority & we move the universe to do it most of the week.we play a game called hi/lo where everyone stitting at the table takes a turn telling the worst&best thing that happened to them that day.Even the neighbors kids thinks that's a hoot.
We are like racunpoodl...with the kids older and going here & there, we try to make it a priority to eat together, AT THE TABLE! And during the fall, it can only happen 1night a week :( Another thing we've been trying to do is a family devo. time. We bought a book, JoshMcDowell's Family Devotions, and read that together after supper or before everyone goes to bed (if everyone is home then.) When the kids where little, we usually didn't go anywhere unless they could come with us. It's just been in the last 2 or 3 yrs. that Todd & I have started going out and doing things without the kids. :)
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