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Spending Time With Your Loved Ones

January 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Your family is making the trip to see relatives you haven’t seen in awhile. You’ve gotten the cheap tickets to get there, the lodging, and now what? What are you going to do to make sure your family bonds and enjoys each other? Quality time with loved ones is a great way to make memories and reminisce, but sometimes it’s hard to find activities that are fun for everyone, including grandma and toddlers.

 

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Getting to Know You

Sometimes when visiting friends and family after years apart, you may feel like you don’t know each other. Ice-breaker games get the conversation going. The Internet is a great source for finding fun, engaging ice-breaker games that can open up even the toughest old bird. If ice-breakers seem out of touch, other games can unite family members and create friendships quickly. Team-building games like charades or Wind, Lose or Draw, can create bonds quickly.

Discover Family History

There is no better way to become closer than to learn family history, whether it’s the entire family’s history or just one person’s history.  Hold story-telling hour where everyone has a certain amount of time to tell a favorite story about a pre-determined subject like favorite family vacation or first day of school.

Take a stroll down memory lane by sifting through family memorabilia. Youngsters will love the stories from earlier times and adults will enjoy reminiscing while browsing through photo albums or watching home videos. Start researching the family tree. This type of project can span different visits and may reveal some unknown facts about the family’s history.

Get Creative

Coming together over personal creations provides time to visit and a keepsake of the experience. Search for crafts that can be completed by everyone in your group, even the little ones. Grandparents love homemade crafts created by grandkids and the kids will have fun creating. Get in the kitchen together and cook an old family favorite. Grandma will love passing on her knowledge to the next generation.

Family talents can be showcased at a talent show. Each family is gifted with a multitude of different talents from singing and dancing to acting and poetry. Set aside a special night and time where everyone can show off and be entertained.

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Get Out and About

Family bonding doesn’t always have to be indoors. When you’re looking for activities outside, make sure to find something that accommodates everyone’s physical abilities. Peruse travel sites to find local attractions like local State and National parks, zoos, aquariums, and museums. Pack up at night and drive away from city lights for some amazing star-gazing.

Arranging a getaway for the whole family can be quite stressful, from booking cheaptickets to scheduling the intinerary. But whatever you do, make the most of the time you have with your loved ones.

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Dealing With a Teenager Who Wants to be Married

April 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Raising children always presents its own set of difficulties, especially when children enter into their teenage years. As tough as it is raising a teenager, it is even tougher actually being a teenager. Every day, teenagers are affronted with different messages, beliefs, advertisements, and emotions, and it can be difficult to sort through what is meaningful and what is passing.

A lot of people wait to marry until there is a promise of financial stability. Others wait until they’ve completed college. Some like to travel before settling down. There is nothing wrong with engagement and looking at engagement rings, if this is what they desire. Bring these points up with your children, alert them to your right as a parent, but most importantly, listen to what your teenager is saying.

So how is a parent supposed to deal with a teenager who wants to be married? In the scope of things, there are worse problems a teenager could have, but as a parent, you care about your child’s future and want to see them make clear, thoughtful decisions. Occasionally, especially with young lovers, the desire to marry is fueled by romance and fantasy.

In most states, children under 18 can’t be married without a parent’s consent. However, for teenagers, a conclusive “because I said so” ruling isn’t always enough. If your child thinks he or she is mature enough to start thinking of marriage, then your responsibility as a parent is to reason with your teenager as an adult. Don’t talk down to them, and don’t discipline. Simply reason with them.

 

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