The Simple Life: Family Time Tips

With so many activities pulling your family apart it can be difficult to find time together. Family time is especially important as your children grown ad are more susceptible to outside influences. Here are some tips for making the most of your family time, and simplifying your life so you have more time to spend together.

Limit outside activities. Your children don't need to participate in every sport and take guitar lessons. Pick one or two activities that your child particularly enjoys. If possible, consider seasonal activities with complementary timing - such as music lessons during the school year and a summer sports team. Or keep certain days of the week free to spend as a family. Limiting your children's activities will leave more time for family time.

Cultivate family traditions. Your family will look forward to doing an activity that has become a tradition month after month or year after year and it will become a special family time. An annual drive around town to look at Christmas lights may make your teenager balk, but traditions like this can be the foundation of a strong family.

Have a family game night. Once a month or so, gather everyone in the family room and pull out your board games. The competitive and fun atmosphere will have all the entire family smiling and laughing - and bonding. Whether it's a gin rummy marathon or Hi-Ho-Cherry-Oh, games will make for a fun family time together.

Turn off the TV. The television distracts from any possible quality family time. If the television is on, even in the background, no one is getting as much out of the time together as they could be. Designate a no-TV night once a week, or a study hour where the kids can do homework and the adults can pay bills or read to the younger ones.

Eat dinner together. A daily ritual like eating dinner together can be a tradition in itself. Dinnertime naturally promotes a "how was your day?" conversation, and it is in these discussions that your family will truly get to know one another. Family time around the dinner table is so simple and, schedules permitting, easy. Make it a habit to sit down and eat together, even if it's take-out, and family members will get to know one another better.

Designate a family night each week. Keep a day free each week for your family to spend together. Make it a rule, and schedules will have to be arranged to accommodate family time. Follow some or all of the above tips on this night to make it a fun time to spend together and get to know one another.