Clinical Reference Systems: Pediatric Advisor 10.0
Making the Most of Family Time
Family history is built around shared events. Yet, with
complex and sometimes conflicting schedules of work, school,
and extracurricular activities, shared time is often rare
among families.
Quality family time generally does not occur spontaneously;
consequently, a certain amount of planning needs to go into
bringing family members together. Some of the following
suggestions may appeal to you and your family.
- To begin planning, use the "brainstorming" technique to
trigger multiple ideas for weekend outings, community
projects, or ways children could earn extra money. Spend
about ten minutes listing the first things that pop into
people's heads. No judgments or comments allowed at this
point--farfetched ideas usually yield more practical
ones.
- Or, ask family members to list or name five things they
especially enjoy doing together as a family and five new
family activities they would like to do in the future.
- Plant a tree to commemorate a birth, anniversary, or
family achievement.
- Photograph your home (or other special family spot) from
the same location for four consecutive seasons. Frame
the photographs.
- Arrange a field trip. Discuss what will be seen and how
to behave. Plan follow-up activities. Places to visit:
working farm, farmer's market, dairy factory, bakery,
museums, zoo, puppet show, children's matinee, radio or
television station, post office, newspaper plant, water
treatment facility, airport, state capital.
- Divide into teams (e.g., father-daughter, mother-son) and
have each team take turns planning a monthly "mystery
trip" or "mystery activity".
- Start a family scrapbook containing snapshots and
mementos from family outings and vacations.
- Show community spirit by recycling old newspapers,
bottles, cans, clothing, books, and furniture to
appropriate centers.
- Plan one-on-one activities between parent and child.
Outings need not be elaborate: a meal or movie together
is quite special.
- Prepare a "birthday quiz" about the birthday boy or girl.
Ask your child (or spouse) for correct answers to such
items as favorite song, food, book, movie, sport, color,
hobby and career. Together with your child or spouse,
also list two bogus answers under each item. Xerox the
quiz and use at a birthday party.
- Have the family produce a skit in the form of a
television commercial highlighting positive features
about an honored family member.
- Tape record an interview with a grandparent.
Possible questions:
- What did you like to do when you were my age?
- Where did you live as a child?
- How many brothers and sisters did you have?
- How did you and grandma/grandpa meet?
- What do you like to do now?
- What do you like about your house and neighborhood?
- Using heavy construction paper, make family placemats by
drawing or writing something unique to each family
member. Cover with clear contact paper.
- Homemade cards are always a delight. Make birthday, get-
well, thank-you, or friendship cards by drawing or
cutting out pictures, and writing a personalized message.
(Have your child dictate a message if he or she cannot
yet write.)
- Design, write, and duplicate copies of a family newspaper
complete with headlines, artwork, poetry and assorted
columns about recent family events. Send to grandparents
and other selected relatives.
- Prepare something delicious from scratch in which the
entire family can participate: bread, pasta, ice cream,
or holiday cookies.
- Plan a monthly "ethnic festival." Select a cuisine and
appropriate decorations, music, stories, or costumes.
Write out menus with translations and save in a family
scrapbook. Work on crafts from that country.
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