Family Night

Family Home Evening, Family Game Night, or Family Movie Night. It all boils down to one thing -?quality family time,?and it?s vital for your family?s well being.

The things that can seem important to our children today probably won?t even matter when they?ve grown up; ridiculously expensive Xbox games, myriad iTunes downloads, or the latest, trendy clothing. Oh, they may remember the injustice of having to do without some of these, but what is more likely to stick with them are the fun, smiles, and laughter spent together with family. In our house, that will probably include the times they sat around the coffee table, accusing Dad of cheating while he protests greatly (even though he really does cheat!).

Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of Great Britain, expressed this profound philosophy: ?The family is the building block of society. It is a nursery, a school, a hospital, a leisure center, a place of refuge, and a place of rest. It encompasses the whole of the society. It fashions our beliefs; it is the preparation for the rest of our life.?

There are no rules for Family Night. Because all of our families are different, we can infuse our own creativity and character into our own Family Nights. We have had times when we had a scripture lesson, played a game associated with it, and had a treat. We also open and close in prayer. Each family member is assigned one aspect of the night?s entertainment. I will do an opening prayer, a child will plan the lesson, and another will prepare the treat. We?ve also had movie night with snacks and times when we played games and had treats. You could even use this time to have a family meeting, as long as some fun is included. What you do is less important than the actual doing.

I also think the routine of Family Night brings security to a child. My 10-year-old gets so excited about our weekly time together. My children count on this time, knowing there will be no phone calls, text messages, computers, or outside interruptions to our family time. Although we are together?most of the time as a homeschooling family, Daddy is not with us as much, so he also looks forward to it. With a traveling husband it?s even more important to make the most of the time that we have together.

In a world of uncertainty and families running in so many different directions (our family is no exception), it is more important than ever to make family time a priority. Gathering together to reconnect is a great way to strengthen your family?s bonds, create happy memories, and just have a great time. It?s my hope that my boys won?t remember all the traveling Daddy had to do as much as they will fondly remember that he made time for weekly Family Time, no matter his schedule.

In addition to all the current benefits, it also puts a smile on my face to know that I?m laying a foundation for my children to carry on this ritual one day in their own families. And isn?t that an important part of parenting? Raising our children to be successful adults?

Start this tradition and see how much your children look forward to it. See what it does for your family. The effort we put into strengthening our families is usually the hardest, yet most significant work we will do as parents. Get your calendar out and fill in your Family Time dates and prepare to enjoy some wonderful laughter and memories together.

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Source: http://hsbapost.com/2011/09/20/family-night/

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