Our children react to situations based on the way parents, social media outlets and media respond to crisis'. In the past couple of weeks we have witnessed sporting events, schools, restaurants, and public facilities come to a complete shutdown and now it appears we are looking at some extreme one on one time with our precious babes. I must admit that I became a little panicked myself during my recent visit to the grocery.
With all of the current uncertainties, I wonder; what if we use this time to get back to the basics with our families? I'm sharing some activities that regardless of the ages and size of your family, I would encourage you to incorporate into the next few weeks of your daily lives. Heck, who knows, maybe they will become regular activities.
*Cook a meal together. My grandmother always loved getting us in the kitchen; food was one of the many ways she showed her love and it is still one of my favorite love languages. Be sure to give everyone a responsibility; this will give your child the sense of accomplishment and pride. Older children can cut veggies or meats while younger children can stir or even practice math with measuring.
*This is the perfect time to put those table manners to the test. I guarantee that when they've invested in the preparing the meal, they will have a different attitude at the table. Don't forget to give someone(s) the responsibility of clearing the table and washing dishes.
*Put the phones up and get the games out! I found myself picking up card games at the grocery over the weekend....remember UNO? We've all become so busy in our everyday lives so take this time talking and learning something new about one other.
*Complete a community service project together. There is so much need and unfortunately that need will become larger in the coming months. It's important to teach children that we have to take care of those in the community who need assistance. A couple of my favorite charities are https://arborky.org and https://www.kidscanceralliance.org both are children inspired and local.
*Form a book club. Pick out age appropriate books and get together once a week to discuss a chapter.
*Organize bedrooms and donate unused clothing and toys! Lord help me this is SO on my daughters list!!! Spring is always a great time to freshen up our homes and why not together; maybe even a new paint color.
*Start a project. Whether it's creating a piece of art for the home, or getting those flower beds ready for spring, this is a great time to put in some elbow grease as a family. We are going to be working on a project that I hope to share soon!
I've always bought into the saying, "It takes a village". Creating a positive home environment is not only good for the soul but for the mind as well. I hope these ideas inspire you to get back to the basics and reacquainted with one another.
Until next time...
Sprinkle kindness like confetti y'all!