Anyone else feel like the outside world has gone a little bit crazy? Or maybe just that it’s changing at a pace that you can’t and don’t care to keep up with? Maybe that having a traditional family isn’t the norm anymore? Oof. I’m here to tell you, this world has been feeling a little upside down to me for a while. It’s so focused on fast, furious, what’s new and what’s next, and it’s sometimes easy to get caught up in the whirlwind and forget what’s really important. But I’m here to also tell you, it’s never too early or too late to work on bringing your family closer together. Here are 20 of our favorite connection tips that will help strengthen your family bond and bring you closer together than ever!
20 Simple Connection Tips to Strengthen Family Bonds
- Quality Time: This is the magic behind connection in your family. If this isn’t part of your plan, you may as well stop reading now. Every single idea we share revolved around quality time, whether it’s actually being together or quality time planning the activity.
- Birthdays – We’ve all seen the gourmet, killer birthday ideas – but to me, that just screams expensive. If you have the desire and the means, go for it. But let’s be honest – people really just remember how they felt. You could spend the craziest amount of time and money on someone, and it doesn’t mean much if there isn’t any heart in it. Make birthdays special. Make them unique – you do this by making the person feel important, putting thought into it, and making it a day just for them. A few fun ideas we’ve done in the past are
- 29 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT YOU poster when Brandon turned 29.
- A Dozen Reasons we love you flowers when Tylee turned 12.
- An Artist Party for our little Artist
- Birthday Interviews are also a great way to remember the small details about their favorites each year
- GrifFUNfriday Ideas – These are our way to share fun family ideas every week on Fridays. They can be so simple, like a Family Movie Night In.
- But the trick is to plan in advance with actual thought put into it and that’s what matters. As soon as you start thinking about it, ideas will flood in. You could do anything from a car wash to a thrift store night – it’s the quality time part that we mentioned above that matters. This time together is what brings families closer together and one of our favorite family connection tips.
- Holiday Ideas – I’ve always been about the holidays. But have you ever thought about making your own holiday? We do an Elf-a-thon every year around Christmas time. The challenge is to make something unique for your family that everyone can look forward to each year or season. Is it a special breakfast on Easter, or family costumes for Halloween – whatever it is, make it special
- Back to School Traditions – why not make a transition a little easier with a little something special. Every year we like to have a little back to school surprise for the kids with coupons, balloons, and maybe a few new goodies to use during the year.
- Game Night – Never underestimate the power of a game. Everyone has games they like, whether it’s on an electronic device, an active sports game, or a board game. Make a list of everyone’s favorites and take turns catering to each family member’s preference. We like playing games on Sundays because it seems to be the least busy day of the week for us.
- Candy Leis – This is one of my favorite ways to celebrate someone who has been working hard at something, like a musical or a graduation. They only take a few minutes to throw together, but they make you feel so special. Here is a short tutorial on how you can assemble your own.
- First 5 minutes Rule – This is more of a little snippet of advice I was taught. And this connection tip has been a game changer for me. The first 5 minutes you spend when you wake up, pick them up from an activity, get home from work are the most important minutes in a day. Put down the phone, give them your undivided attention. Ask them about their day, tell them about yours. Make the most of the first 5 minutes and you will notice a difference in your relationship
- Date Nights: Schedule regular date nights with each member of your family. Depending on how big your family is determines the frequency. Is it once a month, 2 times a year? I opt for once a month with each kid, and every week with the spouse. Not every date needs to be out on the town or big. Again, it’s the quality time that will make the connection. One of my absolute favorite ideas is our Choose Your Own Adventure Date – This is new. I’ve only done this with our oldest when she got a 4.0 {straight a’s}. But it was one of the most memorable experiences yet.
- Reading with Kids – I’ve always loved reading and every night we aim for story time with the kids. If the child is able to read, we let them take turns reading in the book.
- Preserving Memories: Make time to preserve your memories. My favorites are NYE Time Capsule Videos, painting handprints, and writing letters. Make a list of the special things that you never want to forget and record them together. Working on these together as family are great connection tips and will help everyone remember moments that maybe they might have forgotten about.
- Homemade Gifts – There is so much power in a gift that you make with your own hands. The options for this are endless. But start with your talents. Can you sing? Write them a song. Are you good at poems? Write a silly note in a rhyme. Artist? Draw them their favorite something. Can you bake? Cook them their favorite meal or dessert. Think outside the box with this one.
- Make Mundane Moments Magical Occasionally: If bath time becomes a chore, make it an indoor balloon bath. Stuck at home unable to go out? Make up a dance or try out a viral video.
- Family Costumes – This has been one of my very favorite ways to connect as a family every fall. We always do a family theme costume. And each year has gotten more and more fun. Everyone gets more involved and excited to ‘beat’ the year before. Here is our latest Family Halloween Costume.
- Solo Vacation – This is one of my favorite family connection tips. When our oldest turned 8, we left the other kids home and took her on a trip with mom and dad. We have since turned this into a little bit of a tradition and we took our next oldest child on a trip when he turned 8 and left the other kids home. We plan to continue with the remaining kids. But it is the perfect way to connect one-on-one with each child.
- Simple Games – Be ready to whip out some easy games on a bad day. Have a favorite game for every member in your family.
- Matching & Meals – matching tees aren’t just for reunions. Find a tee shirt with a logo or character someone in the family loves {e.g. Batman, Mario, Barbie, etc}. Wear them out for a favorite meal together.
- Songs – Find a song that says their name or a favorite song they love to dedicate just for them. Play it on roadtrips, etc. for everyone to sing along.
- Treats – Choose a day of the week for special treats. I love making a special treat Friday afternoons when the kids get out of school for the weekend.
- Regular Family Meetings – schedule a weekly family meeting where you can go over schedules, goals, or have discussions about what is and is not going well in the household.
- Set Goals – Every year set goals for your specific family, as individuals and a group. Make sure to refer to these goals in your weekly family meetings.