Spending time together as a family is crucial to creating a strong bond with your children as they grow older. Spending quality family bonding time will not only strengthen your relationship with your children, but also help them feel a sense of belonging and develop higher self-esteem in the long run. A child growing up in a family with a strong bond will be happier, do better in school, and have better communication with their parents, friends, and peers. Here are different things you can do to strengthen the family bonds within your own family.
Spend Time Together
One of the simplest ways to strengthen family bonds is to spend time together. Living together doesn’t necessarily mean you are spending time together. Finding the time to be together can be challenging if you are a single parent or are away from home often for work. Even a small amount of time spent together can have a powerful impact on you and your child. Scheduling family time at least once a week can have a positive impact on your children and is something they will look forward to. Some fun activities that you can do together are to play board games, pick out and read books, or talk about your favorite things that happened during the week. To learn more about the importance of family bonding time, read our brochure on Family Time.
Family Meal Time
Sharing a meal together as a family naturally brings everyone together and strengthens family bonds. Keep all electronics away from the dinner table and encourage everyone to share about their day. If it is not possible to have family meal time every day, try to plan a couple of days during the week, or try sharing breakfast instead. According to a study called Associations Between Early Family Meal Environment Quality and Later Well-Being in School-Age Children, family meals have long-term influences on children’s biopsychosocial well-being.
Cook Together
Not only can you strengthen your familial bonds through cooking, it is also an opportunity to teach your children crucial life skills that will be important as they become responsible adults. Choose a recipe that is appropriate for your child’s age and remember to always keep a watchful eye when they are in the kitchen. . Have your child choose a recipe based on their favorite food and allow them to participate in planning and preparing meals each week. This will inspire them to get creative while cooking and is a great way to demonstrate how families work together as a team.
Bond over Your Child’s Hobby
Does your child have a hobby she enjoys? It may be dance, soccer, band/orchestra, painting, or robotics; whatever the hobby is, join in and support her as she learns, competes, or performs. You can watch your child practice, ask questions about her hobby, and have conversations about why she enjoys it. This will further ignite your child’s passion for her hobby and help you build a deeper connection with one another. Your child will feel valued when you express interest in her activities and appreciate your efforts to support her passion as she grows older.
Family bonding is important for a child’s early development. The stronger the bond, the more likely a child will grow up to be happier and have higher self-esteem in the future. The activities mentioned above are only a few ideas of how to strengthen your family’s bond, and there are many more ways you can connect with your family. You can volunteer together in your community, exercise together, read together, go to museums together, have a family arts and crafts night, or enjoy any other activity that allows you to spend time together. The best way to strengthen your family’s bond is by simply doing things together as a family.
Learn more about how to strengthen your family bond with the links below.
15 Great Ideas for Family Bonding
How to Strengthen Family Bonds
5 Simple & Fun Family Bonding Activities