Family Activities with a PURPOSE!

WHAT ARE FAMILIES WITH A PURPOSE? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

A family with purpose is a family who knows who they are, what they stand for,what they believe in and what they know God wants from life. They have goals and dreams and plans to make them happen. They are families who live their lives with a purpose.

Family activities don't have to be elaborate, expensive planned out ideas. Sometimes, simple is better. Kids are looking for your
time and attention, so don't forget the simple things in life.

Read a book together
Fly a kite
Bake cookies
Volunteer at at food kitchen
Raise money to support local ministries and outreach groups
Pick a missionary or mission organization to support for a month
Write letters/make care packages for our Troops
Donate to local churches and charities~allow children to choose what and who
Go on "dates" with each individual child and learn more about them
Pick a family member to spoil for a day
Make a meal for a neighbor together
Help a neighbor with yard work
Clean up trash along the road together
Have a Bible Study with your kids
Go fishing
Plant flowers
Build a tent and eat lunch inside
Go for a walk
Shoot hoops or play catch
Play hide and seek
Catch Fireflies


Successful Family Activities

Planning fun and successful family activities shouldn't be a chore for busy parents. Most just require a little fore thought and a little planning to be successful. So don't get bogged down in the details or overwhelmed with the planning. The first thing to spoil family activities is a stressed parent, so go slow and ease into your routine.

Alternate between planned and unplanned family activities. Not every family activity has to be an elaborate outing. Sticking around home and just "hanging out" can be just as fun. Just don't let the TV, computer, and video games become a distraction.

Be flexible. Sometimes family activities don't go as planned. The baby is tired, the car had a flat tire, or it rained when it was supposed to be sunny and hot.

Make sure the family activity is something everyone will enjoy or at least tolerate. Talk over the family activities ahead of time and get everyone's input. This will help prevent resistance later on.

Schedule your family activities on the family calendar. Plan out for a month when the family will be together and schedule the family activities accordingly.

Make them a priority. Kids know when parents don't follow through with their promises and are often more hurt than they are willing to let us know. Take the time for the family activities. Your kids will thank you for those little things later.

Why is a Strong Family Life Important?

Parents often ask why its so important for parents to spend working on their family life. After all, they spend time together everyday doing homework, going to sporting events, driving places in the car, and attending school functions, isn't that enough? What's the big deal anyway? Are our kids any better off for all the effort it takes? Yes!! And here are the reasons why a strong family life is so important.

A strong family life creates a sense of belonging for parents and kids alike. Providing security and warmth in an often cool and harsh world. Feeling like you belong is a fundamental human need and when gone unfulfilled in the home, kids and parents will look elsewhere to fill the void.

A strong family life creates memories and builds a strong emotional foundation for our kids. Passing on a legacy of love, compassion, and laughter are an important part of raising a child. These are important values that can get over shadowed when we allow our family life to become disconnected. Raising a child isn't just about the grades or awards they receive. It's also about the person they become -- a person with a strong emotional maturity and intellect.

A strong family life reminds kids on a daily basis they are loved and valued. Strong families are families who take the time to listen and talk without judgment and support each other in times of need.

A strong family life allows your children to know what God intended for family to be and how to have their own strong family once they have married and started their own. Building upon the foundations that God has set into place for us is a lot of hard work and really worth the effort. Too many families are falling apart at the seems and don't have a good foundation in Christ to help keep them together. Building a firm foundation in the Lord should be first and foremost in your desire to build a strong family life.

What are the Fundamentals of a Strong Family Life?

Time Spent In the Word - Time spent together reading the Bible, doing Devotions, and worshiping will draw your family closer together and closer to God. Developing a regular habit of spending time with God can never start to early and the rewards can't be measured.

Routines & Rituals - Routines and rituals create a sense of normalcy, belonging, and comfort.

Open Communication - Letting every family member have a voice and creating the environment and trust to let every voice be heard.

Unconditional Love - A sense and realization that you are always loved and unconditionally accepted.

Laughter - Families who laugh together, stay together.

What are your thoughts? How do you make your family time meaningful and purposeful?