I can tell you as a mom of a 24-year-old that time flies! It seems like just yesterday I was changing his diapers and rocking him to sleep. How did we get here… 24 years later?
When I look back, I’m so thankful for the conversations, the meals together, and the fun times we’ve had as a family. It hasn’t always been perfect, but taking the time to connect has created memories that I will cherish forever. It doesn’t have to be complicated, it just needs to be intentional and consistent. If you need help getting started, here are 10 awesome ways to connect with your kids.
1. Pray together
Remind your kids you can pray about anything together. If you do this when your kids while they are very young, it becomes a natural way of life. There is nothing better than when your children ask you to pray for them! It is a wonderful feeling to know they know where to go with the concerns of their heart.
2. Have fun
Make sure you’re taking time to have fun together. Watch movies, go for walks, have picnics, play board games together and have family nights. These things bring you together and stir great conversation! Don’t just do this with your younger children. You may have to make your older child at first, but trust me, they want to spend time with you. Tthey may just need a little push (not literally, of course)
3. Read God’s word together
Do fun devotions and look for fun ways to study the Bible together, and/or memorize Scripture with your kids.
4. Conversations
Have great talks with your kids (kids understand your talk before they talk themselves). Take special times (bedtime is a great time) just to ask them about their day or to listen to what they want to talk about.
5. Have meals together
Not just at the table, but also picnics in the back yard or park. Eat dinner watching a tv show or movie together (be careful not to do this one too much, but once in a while it’s fun) especially if it is something you can learn or talk about as a family.
6. Read aloud
This is not just with your small children, you can connect with your older kids in a big way reading great literature or listening to audio books together. Books have a way of bringing out great conversations and situations about real life that can be discussed.
7. Work together
Giving kids responsibility is so important and when you work together in the home. It helps you connect to them. You can also get them involved with your business (if you have one) because they learn so much.
8. Give them your full attention
Children need to know they are important! I had an uncle who recently passed away. My brother was especially close to him. You know why? My brother always said it was because Uncle Jim always made him feel important. He engaged him in full conversation from the time he was toddler all the way through law school. He asked him about things he was interested in, gave him full eye contact, and always included him in decision making. Don’t treat your children like they are not even in the room. They matter and the more you invest in them the better they will be.
9. Serve others
When you get your children involved with helping others you teach a valuable lesson. Sponsor a child, help serve your church together, have your kids serve widows or the elderly on your street. My kids bless a neighbor by taking her mail to her every day because it is hard for her to get out. My children have learned so much from this wonderful lady and they have grown to love her so much.
10. Love your spouse
The best ways to show your kids a healthy family life is to model it. That doesn’t mean you’re going to be perfect! But you connect more as a family when your marriage is healthy. Loving your wife or husband is the best modeling of Christ you can do! Make your children long to be married. We live in a culture that doesn’t value marriage much anymore. Model to them why it should be different!
Original Source: Together with Family
What are some ways you connect to your kids? I would love to add to the list.
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