It is so hard in today fast paced, overscheduled world to find time to spend together as a family. It is too easy when a gap appears in the family schedule to simply collapse in front of the television and meditate for the evening. It is too easy to wait for the perfect opportunity for bonding. If this describes your family current pattern then you need to find a way to break it now.
One of the best ways to bring your family closer together and create memories that will last a lifetime is to create some family rituals. Perhaps there can be some small ritual that is a part of your greetings or goodbyes. Perhaps there can be a small daily ritual that is part of bed time. Certainly you can create a ritual that takes place either weekly or monthly. It might be a family dinner night, a family movie night, or a family game night. It really is not important what you do so long as you do it together on a regular enough basis so it does become a tradition.
One of the assignments I give my college freshmen is to write about their definition of the word home. While they frequently begin describing a specific place what often comes through are the traditions of their family. Holiday meals, outings, and vacations are all wrapped up in their definition of home. I see this in my own child as well. We have morning rituals and bedtime rituals that he clings too rigorously. While some, such as the bedtime story, will eventually fade into oblivion I hope others stick with us. One of those is the way I ask him every night what was good about his day. If I forget or am tardy with the question he is quick to remind me so it is clear the ritual is important to him, but it is also important to me because I love seeing what really matters to him. Sometimes I can guess but sometimes I am surprised.
Another tradition I hope we will preserve is the way we express our love to each other. While he is currently young enough to let smooches kisses, squishes hugs, and snuggles occur on a frequent basis and he is happy to tell me that he loves me and hear that I love him, I know the day is coming when he wont be so eager for this affection and certainly not in any public display. However I am paving the way for a new tradition when that time comes. Today, we play a giggly little game of describing our love I love you as much as 10,000 walruses. My hope is that in the future when I cant tell my teenaged son how much I love him because I might embarrass him then I can at least whisper in his ear: 1 million elephants and perhaps get a smile at the inside joke.
Bring My Family Back
Family trips are one of the ways for a family to spend time together and enjoy each other's company while driving on the road. The journey could bring the family to a camp site, to a grand parents' house, or to an amusement park. Or it could be anywhere else. Although there are various reactions from the children, most would often enjoy the whole trip no matter how long it may seem. Fun as it may seem, there still are a couple of things that parents should prepare for and be able to bring with them for the duration of the whole road trip for the family.
Cellular phones should not be forgotten. This is very necessary especially if the car you are driving experiences an overheated engine, a blown tire, or if there is a need for some kind of medical assistance. However, do not also forget to bring the charger for the cellular phone - be it an A/C charger or a car charger. Both would help out a lot.
Stopping to ask directions is okay, however, if you could bring a detailed map, you would be actually saving some time. Compared to stopping and asking for directions, you can have somebody read the map to you while you are driving. Also, these maps would be very useful in places where there seems to be a loss of population.
Keeping the kids entertained is important especially if they have a very short attention span. If you are the type who gets tired easily by their seemingly endless stream of questions or their heated squabbles, it would be best to bring along books or activity packs that would get them busy during the trip. There are puzzles, connect-the-dots, coloring books, and other activities that could make them keep quiet for some time.
Do not forget to pack in some food to munch on. No, this would not be those big meals which could get your vehicle's interior pretty messy. Food on the trip could include bags of chips, crackers, water, juice boxes, bite-size fruits, granola bars, chocolate bars, and milk. Make sure that you put these in disposable containers or resealable plastic bags.
As for your vehicle, do not forget to bring your own stash of emergency equipment and instruments. Spare tires are a must as well as flares, and a jack. It would be best to check your whole vehicle before you go on a trip. If there are parts that need replacement, do not hesitate to do so. Ford parts like Ford Escort parts can be easily ordered at Ford Parts and Ford Auto Parts. They are made from quality materials so that you would not have to worry about these replacement parts wearing down on your long journey.
Both Francis Lua & Jason Moore are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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