Connection and communication are two of the most important things to have concerning your family. Regardless whether you’re the patriarch or matriarch of a home in Laguna, or one of its members, being connected and having good communication with your family can spell the difference between a fulfilling home life or a sad one.
More often than not, because of the rigors of everyday life like work and school, the above-mentioned factors often get pushed away for more practical expressions. This can lead to children feeling a little left out or parents not being appreciative of their little ones’ love language. The solution to this potential misunderstanding is to have regular bonding opportunities with each other.
These “team building” activities don’t only solidify the bond between each family member, it also helps them understand how to communicate with each other more effectively. Of course, there are a myriad of ways to facilitate this. Here are a few things you can try out.
Doing The Chores
Whether it’s laundry day or making sure that your surfaces, walls and/ or ceilings are clean and sanitized, doing chores is hard work. It’s a fact of life that needs to be dealt with on a regular basis. Of course, it doesn’t have to be difficult, it can always be fun and, more importantly, meaningful.
Involving your children and spouse is a great way to spend time with each other. It’s also an excellent way to practice effective communication with each other. The key here is to make sure that every individual member is doing their part.
Work On DIY Projects
Do-It-Yourself projects are an excellent way to spend your weekends. Whether it’s those 2-day home improvement items that can make things in your house better or an aesthetically pleasing decor or accessory, if it’s something that can take your time off of work or school, then it’s something worth working on.
It’s also something that gives you a feeling of accomplishment. For each project finished, you have this sense of satisfaction that’s not easily matched by other relatively small-time activities. Imagine sharing this with your children and/ or spouse.
Of course, more than anything, this is a gauging activity. Perhaps your spouse, son or daughter may take kindly to woodwork, or maybe not. The point is being able to share your passion with them so they know what you find satisfaction and fulfillment in.
Engage In Arts And Crafts
Expressing oneself can come in many shapes and forms and, for some individuals, it’s in the form of arts and crafts. While DIY projects usually involve the creation of more practical items and objects, arts and crafts require a little more creativity and spirit. If you’re fond of drawing or painting, it might also be something you might want to share with members of your family.
Set up several palettes, distribute papers, pencils and your preferred media of art and start getting creative. When everyone’s done with their work, ask them to describe it – how they felt when they were working on it. You’d be surprised how much thought and emotion comes from making a simple work of art, making it an excellent form of communication.
Pray And/ Or Meditate Together
There’s a saying that goes: “A family that prays together, stays together.” And while there are some instances where individual members of the family have different religious belief systems, most of the time, it’s something that’s shared.
Regardless whether you’re religious or more secular, it’s important to share with your family your sense of faith and spirituality. Spend a night in silent or audible prayer, meditate with each other, watch online worship and mass – so long as it’s a spiritual event, participate with your family with you.
Watch Movies Together
There’s a reason why movies are great for first dates and it’s precisely because it can tell you a lot about a person’s taste. The same can be said when it comes to bonding with the family. Though more appropriately, you can learn the reactions of your individual family members pertaining to a certain movie type.
A wonderful suggestion would be to establish a movie night schedule at least once per week and have an individual member of the family pick the movie everyone’s watching. Everyone needs to watch what the person picks. That way, apart from learning what this person likes, it also gives them the opportunity to know what you and the rest of the family think of it.
Help With The Homework
In one way or another, the family revolves around the children and making sure they’re equipped enough to eventually leave the nest. When it comes to schooling, it’s important to let them know that that’s their priority and that they have complete agency over the results they create.
However, if you notice that your children are having a hard time regarding a certain subject or, more to the point, having a hard time being consistent with their study habits, then that’s where you can interject. Ask them what support they need and if it would be okay for them if you can join in whenever they study.
You’re not only going to be made aware of their learning styles, you’re also showing them that it’s okay to ask for help whenever it’s clearly needed. It’s also a great way to show them that you will always be there for them in case they have a hard time.
Read Books Together
There’s watching movies, there’s making art together and then there’s just reading their preferred books together. Alternatively, you can read just one book while your children listen. Whatever the case may be, have a schedule where you can read books as a family.
By reading books together as a family, you’re not only teaching them that reading books is a good way to not only pass the time but learn practical and meaningful lessons in life, you’re also helping improve their focus, empathy and communication skills.
Play Video Games
Video games these days aren’t just for adults. Some of them have compelling stories that have interesting and meaningful life lessons. This makes some video games an excellent way to bond with your family.
Of course, there’s also competition and playing against or with your children to reach a specific goal is a great way to bond. It’s also an exercise in creative communication and connection.
Help With The Cooking
Just like doing chores, cooking is something that needs to be done on a daily basis. And just like chores, it doesn’t necessarily have to be boring. Involving your spouse and/ or children cooking a recipe is a great way of learning how each one communicates and receives instructions.
Look up a special recipe in a cookbook and work on it together with the family. At the end of it all, regardless whether the dish you made was a success or not, you still get to learn so much about each other.
Have A Karaoke Night
Sometimes, especially in trying periods of people’s lives, singing is an excellent way to relieve one’s soul. Whether it’s bawling out Queen’s “I Want To Break Free ” in the shower or acappela-ing an Aegis song with friends in a bar after a heartbreak, singing is an excellent way to provide catharsis. This is why karaokes were created – so you have a harmony to follow and so you know the words to a song.
Singing out loud with your family is a great way to learn what kind of music each one is into and gives you, more or less, an idea of what each one’s mood is. Just like how art and expression can reveal so many things about a person, so too can singing.
Greenfield City has three horizontal residential developments you can have these wonderful family bonding activities in. The Pramana Residential Park provides a haven for families who’d like to live in a green paradise, whilst Solen Residences provides you with that Asian Tropical sanctuary away from the hustle of the big city. Lastly, there’s the flagship project of Greenfield Deluxe, a characterization of the Greenfield legacy – Trava. If you’d like to learn more about these wonderful, masterfully planned developments, visit this web page: https://greenfield.com.ph/project/greenfield-city/.