Designating one evening a week as Family Night can help your families grow closer, get more organized, and have fun together. Information for planning and bonding.
Instituting a weekly Family Night in your home will improve family morale, strengthen relationships, increase communication, and help you become more organized. You may have to rearrange schedules a bit in order to get everyone at home at the same time, but the effort will be worth the initial headache.
First, decide which night to designate as Family Night. In order to take advantage of the organizing aspect of Family Night (which I'll get to in a few paragraphs), schedule Sunday or Monday night as your evening together. Sunday night may be ideal, since most extracurricular activities are on weeknights, so there likely won't be any conflicts.
Next, come up with an agenda for your Family Nights. Each member of the family (even toddlers can help an older sibling or parent with this) should have a responsibility for Family Night, and that responsibility should be switched around so no one gets bored (example: This week Jesse is in charge of games; next week he's in charge of treats). This will help everyone feel involved and needed, and they'll be more likely to attend and participate. The agenda could look something like this:
1. Business (Mom)
2. Singing (Kayla)
3. Games (Jesse)
4. Treats (Dad)
You can also add a lesson time if you feel there's something you want to teach your children or if one of your children has learned a new skill he wants to teach everyone else. A lesson time can also be used to practice a book report or other oral presentation your child needs to give at school
The business section of Family Night is the section that helps you get and stay organized. Get out the calendar during the Business portion and have everyone describe their schedules for the week. This way you won't forget about the dress rehearsal for the school play or the neighborhood homeowner's meeting. You'll also be able to resolve calendaring conflicts while everyone is available for discussion.
The business section can also be used to talk about family problems. If there has been a problem with chores or sharing or a cousin who needs help, this is the time to discuss it. Your children may bring ideas to the business section that seem ridiculous or silly, but take them seriously. Your kids will learn important negotiating skills and will feel that they're truly an important part of the family.
Singing time is a big favorite with little kids. They like to teach their parents the words of songs they learn in preschool or kindergarten. If you have young children, check a book out of the library that has fingerplay songs or nursery rhymes. You'll be surprised at how successful this portion of Family Night can be.
The Games section could involve all kinds of activities: board and card games, tag, hide-and-seek, kick ball, softball at the park, building snowmen, sledding, making crafts, relay races, etc., depending on who's in charge. Try not to let the games get too competitive, or some members of the family may not enjoy Family Night so much.
A good Family Night always ends with good treats. Children who are too young to come up with a game can always help an older person stir the cookie dough or watch popcorn come flying out of the air popper.
Try to use the same format for your Family Night each week. Once Family Night becomes a habit in your home, much like breakfast or chores on Saturday morning, your family will look forward to this together time once a week. You'll have the peace of mind that comes with a strong, loving family.
