Parents hardly see their kids when they’re all grown up. The kids start lives of their own, doing the regular 9-to-5 or starting a business. After moving out, weekly visits become monthly or maybe longer.
Perhaps, that’s the cycle of life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have quality time together just because they’re not kids running around the room anymore. With creativity and patience, there’s always something that the family can do together.
1. Have a drink at the end of the week.
The kids may have had a stressful week of encoding numbers and thinking of marketing strategies. Maybe the parents had to deal with removing travellers from private land in preparation to build their rest house as retirement comes closer. At the end of the week, everyone needs to loosen up and unwind, and having a drink or two is the perfect way to do it.
Maybe the kids have missed their parents’ skewers and steak. Maybe the parents have missed the quick-witted jokes of their kids. They can have all these over a beer or a bottle of wine while catching up with each other.
2. Bust out the trusty karaoke machine
More than just wailing into the microphone, karaoke is a fun way to bring people together. So much can ensue from simply singing along one’s favourite tunes.
People can feel a sense of nostalgia, as they sing songs from their younger days. Other members of the family can burst out dancing while the parents sing along to Dancing Queen. Whether it’s a showcasing of talents or the lack thereof, karaoke is a guaranteed good time.
3. Try the new restaurant in town
Fancy or not, trying a new restaurant creates some kind of a thrill. It’s uncharted waters. Will the food be good? What cuisine is it? Is it a place that can be frequented? What’s the ambience? It’s even more fun if you try it out with other people.
When you try the food for the first time, you can evaluate and comment on it with your family. Maybe one of the family members is a great chef or a restaurateur. Maybe you’ll find a new dish to recreate. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite. This is like an adventure that you can have with your family.
4. A DIY Day
Home improvement is a constant in the household. In order to make the house feel comfortable and the perfect nook for the owners, it should keep up with the sign of the times. At times, people just love adding new features to their homes because “their home is part of their self-definition, which is why we do things like decorate our houses and take care of our lawns.”
Additionally, DIY projects create a sense of community by seeking help and learning from other people’s experiences. In this case, it’s the family, and it’s a collaboration between every member. This connects the family by working together to a common goal and bathe in the fulfillment that comes with finishing a DIY project.
It’s important to make time for the people who are important to us. No matter the hectic schedules and the individual lives family members are living, setting a time and date to see and spend quality time with each other keeps the ties tight.
