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Good Things to Do with Your Family on Weekends
by Stephania Munson-Bishop
Dad's home! And maybe Mom, too, if both parents work outside the home, as most do these days just to make ends meet. To children, this is an event in and of itself. They're ready for some family togetherness time, especially when they're under age 12.
(At 13, they'll be slumped in the back seat of the family car, hoping none of their friends see them, but that's another story!) Make a list Friday night, and let everyone know what types of Necessary Chores need to be accomplished on Saturday. Planting a garden, fertilizing the yard, trimming shrubs, taking down storm windows -- there's always some type of labor-intensive chore to fill up the weekend hours. Routine items include tidying and vacuuming the house, doing laundry and folding and putting away. Perhaps Mom needs to do some meal planning and preparation for the week ahead. Then ask for volunteers! Who wants to help with what?
The surprising thing is that, when a family functions as a unit and everyone has a contribution to make, kids are always happy to pitch in. Especially when there's something to look forward to, as a reward for a Job Well Done.
Have a cook-out. Crank out some homemade ice cream. Rent a kids' movie from the video store. Go for a late-afternoon drive with the bikes and trikes in the back of the Blazer, and let the children ride safely in the empty parking lot of the local school. Fun doesn't have to cost money. Most of "fun" is in the attitude. If parents enjoy their children, kids know it.
Structure, rules, discipline -- these character-building items don't have to be taught in a stern, hurtful manner. Also, when Sunday rolls around, consider taking your family to church. One of the greatest gifts a parent can give a child is faith, and becoming part of a spiritual community.
Weekends are the time for families to reconnect. Take advantage of the years when your kids are young, and want more than anything to be with you. It doesn't last forever, because more and more interests will begin to populate their lives as they approach the teenage years. And what could possibly be more important in the grander scheme of things than your own children?
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Stephania Munson-Bishop may be contacted at
http://www.humansrv.net
humansrv@swva.net. Stephania is a human service professional with nearly 40 years in the field. She publishes a monthly content-rich
ezine, "Tidbits from the Pantry," about life, growth, and relationships, and offers a free evaluation of life's problems to her subscribers. For free issue of her
ezine,
mailto:humansrv@GetResponse.com |
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