Family Time Is Precious – Jennifer Oaten
Family time is precious. As parents, it seems that one minute we are holding a tiny baby and the next they are a teenager, with their license and their independence where mum and dad play a much smaller role. I am very familiar with this situation!
We often spend so much time and effort trying to provide our children with a comfortable lifestyle that sometimes, we forget that giving our children our time is more valuable than buying the latest gadgets, technology and new clothes.
Children who spend time with their parents participating in activities together can build a positive sense of self-worth and belonging. When children feel they are valued and appreciated by their parents, they in turn feel more confident and positive about themselves. Family activities don’t have to be costly to be meaningful.
The next few months will provide opportunities for us to rebuild connections with our family and also help our girls to develop further their skills in the areas of flexibility, adaptability and creativity. I am so proud of how the girls are handling the current changes and how they are not phased with the learning of new technology, in fact it is quite the opposite. They are way more agile than we were at their age.Â
Activity Suggestions
Here are some of my activities suggestions. You could even get your children to create a list of what they would like to do.
- Have meals together at the dinner table
- Have a family movie night
- Board games
- Jigsaw puzzle
- Bring out the old photo albums and have many laughs and share stories
- Create new photo albums, maybe of your recent holiday
- Plant a vegetable patch
- Redesign your garden
- Host a family book club
- Hopscotch or Four Square on the family driveway
- Family bike ride
I would love you to share any ideas you might have with our community on our Santa Maria Facebook Page post from today. Share not only your ideas but any photos of these in action. We have such a strong community so let’s continue to grow this despite some of the restrictions set upon us.
I leave you with the challenge of creating some special family memories, the ones that your family will talk about in years to come.
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Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.