Parenting is an all-encompassing role. While you might not have a teaching degree, you sure as hell have to be an educator. It won’t be in the same way as a teacher at their school though; you’re not going to get into the nitty-gritty of Pythagoras’ theorem, for example. Some things will and should stay in the classroom. Still, kids need to learn about life and more from their role models, which are likely their parents. Teaching can be difficult, which is why many parents share responsibilities and use family bonding activities to help illustrate life lessons. For inspiration, take a look at the list below.
1. Family Bonding over Cooking
There is nothing better than watching young children fall in love with cooking. Firstly, it’s an excellent way to keep them occupied when boredom hits. Children are restless and making a homemade stir-fry or another dish can be the perfect remedy.
More importantly, being able to make a meal is a part of becoming independent and self-sufficient. If they rely on you to cook instead, they might end up living off processed, microwavable foods as an adult and that’s very unhealthy.
In the beginning, teach them to follow a recipe and then let their creativity take over. You never know… they may be the next Gordon Ramsay, minus the swear words!
2. Parent-Child Dates
Anyone with young boys should seriously consider doing parent-child dates now and then as family bonding activities. Obviously, don’t advertise it as a date or else they won’t want to do it, likely thinking it’s silly, mom.
Instead, take them out to a nice restaurant for lunch and let them get familiar with the inner workings of a date. For example, prompt them to maintain a conversation and show them how to interact respectfully with the wait staff. Table manners are still important, in my opinion. The women in their life will thank you a million times over down the road.
You might also decide to get a pet, and that can bring you closer together as you share responsibilities caring for the puppy or other animal. Go to the park as a family with the furry pal and enjoy sharing in the love of this new addition to the family.
3. Family Bonding Activities: Sewing
So, there aren’t too many people that sew their own clothes or other items today. However, if you have a skill, don’t let it go to waste – Pass it on to your kids! It’s another great one for this family bonding activities list.
Why? Firstly, the ability to fix clothes is a massive money-saver, as well as a potential money-maker. The people at http://stitchit.co/services have created a successful business out of a retro talent, which is a life lesson in itself.
Also, sewing teaches kids the value of trying hard to find a solution. The easy option is to throw clothes in the trash, but the hard choice is to recycle them. This time, the environment will thank you for your service.
4. Sports
Parents and kids often don’t play competitive sports together for obvious reasons. Still, you can add an element of rivalry to everyday situations. Take riding a bike, for example.
As Cycling Weekly explains, going for a slow ride isn’t going to help your kids. Instead, a race will get their adrenaline pumping and burn calories. Even better, family bonding activities like this one make exercise fun and encourage them to do it more often. Child obesity is growing, but sports can help.
What are some other family bonding activities?
This is brilliant , thanks for sharing
These are all great suggestions, but my favourite is cooking. There is so much to learn: language, literacy, maths, science – not to mention independence.
Oh that’s so true! Thanks for adding about using cooking as a bonding activity, Norah :)
My pleasure, Christy. :)
Great post, Christy! When our kids were little, I baked with them, and as a family, we went bike riding, camping, backpacking and hiking. Introducing the outdoors and nature to them was important to my husband and I. We even played board games together when staying indoors was the better option. To this day, my kids (now young adults) continue their love for the outdoors…wonderful memories!
I did all of these things with my sons when they were little. But one of the things they loved and remembered the most was when we decided to sleep outside on the trampoline together! I was in the middle (and the heaviest) so they were both plastered against me all night. We stayed up late and looked at the stars and talked astronomy. It was wonderful.
I love this ❤️ Actually never got to do much of these activities with either one of my parents. We did things here and there but not to it’s full entirety, which is something that as children we really do need. I hope when I have kids of my own, to explore and have fun with them :)
Great adwise Christy, loved this ❤️ My litte girl at 4 loves to cook with me. And its a fun bonding experience. Big hug 💚
I used to help my mother in the kitchen when I was a kid, and now when I’m home I cook and she helps. She taught me how to sew and I used to make dresses for my dolls with the remains of pieces of cloth that were used to stitch mine. And my father taught me to play football. I now always watch football with him and we almost always discuss football matches when we talk on the phone.
Reblogging this to SIWO
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Great post Christy,
I play video games with my son, because we booth love them. I am teaching him on this way that in the game but also in the life should do its best, and that is everything you can do. Do your best and forget the rest !
Thank you
My older girls and I would do “beauty night” where I would try out new hairstyles on them, paint their nails and we would talk. Those were some of the best times to have parenting conversations about peer pressure, dating and how to act classy instead of trashy. It was aslo a good way for me to have them tell me about their friends and things they were dealing with in school etc.
My wife and I recently separated, as you know from my older articles, Christy, but I still visit the kids from time to time, even if they’re not my actual children. I bonded more in the last months with my stepson than in the last six years. We spent time cooking and trying to make pancakes for the first time and it worked.
You never know what life has prepared for you.
I like all 4. I think going on dates with your significant other is a big one. We recently took dancing lessons with my husband and it was the best thing we’ve ever done.
I love that you mentioned cooking. I think cooking is a great way to not only learn a life skill, but there’s a lot of science behind it too. My daughter loves helping me in the kitchen.
My kids are grown, but my spouse and boys learned snowboarding together and every winter went to the mountain together, all of them eventually working there. The experience was a positive one.
4 bounding activities that double as life lessons what has that mean?