Ideas for Bringing Families Together

By Karen Perkins

Bringing Families TogetherBetween school, work, practice, chores and everything else in your fast-paced life, it is hard to find family time that fits into everyone’s hectic schedules. This makes it even more important to seek out a little time every day, or at least every week, to come together for relaxing and reconnecting. Here are three ways – some you may already be doing – to bring your family together. Fit them into your schedules as often as you can.



  • Eat Dinner Together as a Family. As mentioned in the Business Week article, “A Guide to the Family Dinner,” eating dinner together as a family is an activity many experts say is crucial to child/teen development. Managing to get everyone around the table at the same time each night is often impossible. Aim to have family meals at least two nights per week and involve each person in the planning and preparation. Quick and easy meals are fine. What is most important is sitting down together to talk about your day and life.
  • Enjoy a Family Game Night. A family game night (try for once a month) is a great way to bring everyone together. Turn off the television and limit phone calls while you play. Choose classic board games, simple card games (for younger kids) or interactive games such as Charades. If the weather is nice, you could even go outside for an informal game of baseball or a bicycle race.
  • Volunteer as a Family. While you spend time together, you are also helping others and teaching your children the importance of giving back. You can do many things from serving at a soup kitchen to taking part in a marathon run. Choose a cause that interests all of you, and then decide what you want to do to help. Visit www.serviceleader.org for ideas.

Plan these family times just as you would any other appointments by writing them on a family calendar so everyone comes to expect and enjoy spending time together. As you do, your entire family will have fun and create many special memories.