Better Together: How to Improve the Quality of Your Family Time

Family is probably at the top of your priority list. For many people, family is the most important and enduring thing in their lives. But it can often be difficult to stay connected and maintain those very important relationships. Life gets in the way, we get busy, little kids take up a lot of time and energy, and older kids grow apart from their families. So what can we do to stay connected with family?

Schedule Family Time

With how busy life can get, being spontaneous is not always an option. If we don't schedule time for things, those things will probably not happen. We schedule work, we schedule meetings, we schedule extra-curricular activities for the kids, but often don't pencil in quality family time. Make it a point to schedule a few nights a week when your immediate family has a meal together. Schedule once or twice a month when you can have a meal with your extended family. Schedule an annual family vacation or reunion. Or, if you have a lot of distance between family members, schedule regular phone calls or video calls.

Use Technology…

Emailing, texting, or using social media sites are the main form of communication of many age groups now. Often it is the only way you will get a response from some age groups. If you are not connected in these ways, make an effort to get connected. There are lots of programs and apps that can make it very easy for people to learn and understand how to get connected with technology. This is also a fantastic opportunity to get some of the younger members involved with the older members of your family. Teens are usually great with technology and can easily get older family members connected. Once set up, it can be much easier for family members to chat spontaneously and more often.

…But Not Excessively

Technology can be great, but it can't be the only way you connect with each other. Make sure when you and your family members are able to be face to face, that you are communicating that way. Put the phones and tablets away and talk to each other. Get outside to do different activities together, or stay in and learn from each other. Cooking, gardening, woodworking, and crafting are all great ways for family members of all ages to connect and interact with each other.

Share Stories

Families connect with stories all the time. It's how we learn about our history, learn about each other, and laugh together. Encourage younger members to tell stories about what's going on in their lives, and encourage their older family members to tell them stories about their lives. A senior care expert with an online master's in aging says stories are a great way for different generations to discover similarities with one another. "I sustain myself with the love of family," Maya Angelou explained how incredibly powerful and important the love of family is with this quote. Keep that love and connection a priority in your life by intentionally connecting with family members of all ages.