When our kids were young, we used to have family night every Friday. As they got older we needed to move it around to accomodate sports, music, and other extra curricular activities that might come along. Too often we were so busy with the daily routines to enjoy our time together. Everything became a chore and something to be done in order to get to the next thing. The days ran into each other and there was no space for fun, unless we carved it out. Family nights are a good way to bring everyone together and just enjoy each other’s company. Here are a few things we learned during that time.
- Family night doesn’t have to be expensive. We had a saying in our house. When we have it, we have it. When we don’t we don’t. Deep, right? But basically, we made do with what we had. If we could afford it, we would take our six kids to the movies. If not, we watched a movie at home. We played bored games, we went for walks, we talked, we went to the park, we had a picnic, etc. It’s tempting to wait for the perfect time to have a family night, but if you just schedule it into your week, you have time to get creative and plan for the evening.
- Family night is not scolding or instruction night. When the whole family has a hectic schedule and it’s hard to communicate with everyone, it is tempting to use the time you are finally all together to say what you’ve been dying to say. Believe me I know. But don’t. You want the family to look forward to family night, not dread it. So save the scolding or instructions for another time.
- Family night is for everyone. We had six kids and there was a huge gap between our oldest and our youngest. That meant that we had to find something toward the middle when it came to picking a movie or a game. It’s good to ask the kids what they would like to do so that everyone gets something that they like eventually. When the kids are older, they can also take a turn planning family night themselves!
There are no hard rules when it comes to family night except one. Consistency. I will always remember when our oldest son was away at college. He was coming home for an extended weekend and he called to ask when family night was so he could be here! When kids are growing up, they won’t always like having family night and there may be times when you will need to decide if you need to move it, change it or leave it the same. But if you wait out the seasons, I think you will be pleasantly surprised that your kids will appreciate the time they spent with their family.