How many of you get together regularly with your family for bonding time? Our family is BIG on spending time together. During the warmer months of the year we’ll often rotate houses and do backyard barbecues & pool parties. During the cooler months of the year we’ll meet up at a local restaurant for lunch or dinner.
We all lead very busy lives and our lives can get in the way of keeping a strong connection and bond with our families. In some families, they’ll only get together during holiday celebrations or in death…when someone passes away. In between those times they might do the occasional phone call, mail off a greeting card or make contact via social media.
That’s all fine and dandy (I guess), but I feel its really important for families to stay connected and to spend time with each other. We all like to get together every 6-8 weeks….even if its only for 1 or 2 hours. To keep things simple and stress-free, a lot of times we’ll meet up at a local restaurant for something to eat. We always pick a place that the majority of us can afford and a place that has a wide variety of menu offerings.
I know for some people this isn’t possible due to not having family that lives close by. That’s okay too! Just make sure you’re reaching out to them on a regular basis to keep the connection going. For those of you where distance is an issue…make sure you reach out regularly by phone!!! Email and social media is nice for quick messages, but its NOT appropriate (in my book) for real one-on-one connections with those that you love. Just my 2 cents on that!
How many of you regularly get together with your family? For those that do, what kind of activities do you enjoy doing together? Any traditions?
Luckily my family all live now in the same area. That makes it easier to get together often.
We really only get together during holiday or special times. But we do try to get together indiviualy when ever we can. My sister lives 6oo miles away so only see her once a year, but we talk ever week for over a hour on ever subject.
Eating out (or in, for that matter, as long as everyone is there) sounds like a nice way for bonding to take place. Families could set aside one day a week when everyone is expected to be there for dinner. Dinner could be special in some way, either going out or grilling outside or just a special meal.
My family all live nearby, but with busy schedules we don’t see each other often enough. I’d love to meet my sisters for breakfast every now and then. Maybe it should be a new year goal.
My heart is in the same place as your’s on this topic! I live in Georgia and my family in a neighboring state.My husband and I drive to see my Mother every 5-7 weeks and are happy to do so, even though it is a 5 hour drive. A strong family connection is so important.