Creating a happy and connected family in the modern world can sometimes feel like an impossible task. Everyone is working tirelessly to make ends meet, technology seems to control our everyday life, and stress has become prevalent among both adults and children. Certainly, grandparents or elderly people in general want to catch sight of their families being connected and content no matter how life turns around. Fortunately, there are secrets you can put into practice to create a stress-free, happy, healthy family in today’s world.
1. Eat, Play, Show Love, and Build a Strong Connection with Your Family
Add some fun to your family meals. Eating together has tons of benefits, including enhancing achievement, reducing the risks of eating disorders, and reducing depression rates in children. So if you want your bond with your grandchildren stronger, introduce simple, hilarious rituals that can create unforgettable happy memories in the kids. For instance, you can watch weekend-morning cartoons together as you’re taking breakfast.
Stay home and engage in fun activities as a family. Whatever your grandchildren find entertaining, it could be playing with dolls, cooking together, or taking a walk around the neighborhood. It could also be watching movies or reading a book. Additionally you could refresh the decor of the house together, arrange your Ready-to-Assemble Cabinets in the kitchen or dye the walls of the house together.
Show your family that you love them. You can do this by hugging and expressing your love verbally daily. Treat them with respect and affection. Also, express your love creatively and thoughtfully by gifting each of your family members a quote necklace. Make sure to make it special, the quote on their necklaces have to be heartwarming notes that remind them how much they matter.
2. Reconnect with Your Partner
For older people who share their lives with a partner, it would be a good idea to focus on the relationship with your partner too. No matter if your relationship has been a long one or it’s a new one, it is important to pay attention to each other’s needs and preferences. Talking together about your worries and wishes is one of the ways to keep the connection going. Open communication is crucial to keeping the trust strong.
One great way to keep the love alive is by participating in new activities together. Always find ways to spend time alone, only the two of you. Oftentimes in the older years, you might focus too much on your children, grandchildren or even great-grandchildren. That’s why you should always try new things to do as a couple. Going on dates away from the family would be amusing and relaxing.
3. Take a Vacation and Celebrate Your History
A vacation gives your family the much-needed break from the normal way of doing things. Visiting a new place raises dopamine (the happy hormone) in the brain, which is instrumental in bringing everyone in the family closer together. A family vacation can be the adventure of your life if you visit places that are far away. If you are in a foreign country and want to visit as many new places as you can, it would be best to get a rental car, whether you or your family member is the one to drive. In these cases, ensure that you obtain an international driver license so you can move around freely. The goal is to spend quality time as a family away from home.
If taking a vacation seems like too much of a struggle, to spend quality time with your family, you can simply go on a picnic, for a hike, or go on a cycling expedition. If you’re all beginners, you can invest in some e-bike kits, to transform your normal bikes into electric bikes. The good thing about them is that they are pedal-assisted, and as such, offer an effortless ride experience, very adequate for beginners.
In addition, make sure the kids but even the rest of your family know the history of your family. That way, they will develop a sense of belonging and will feel more grounded. It’s better to talk regularly or if not living together, to visit each other as much as possible.You can also check old photo albums together and narrate to them the most notable family adventures and memories.
4. Create Traditions and Hold Meetings Regularly
Family traditions can instill a sense of unity in your family. Don’t reserve family traditions for special occasions or holidays only. Instead, develop and observe family traditions weekly or even on a daily basis. For instance, you can reserve Saturday nights for family games where you can play your favorite indoor game. In addition to traditions, family meetings can also help keep your family happy and connected. Hold a meeting at least once a month. Talk about what’s running smoothly and what needs to be addressed.
The Parting Shot
Family is about building deep connections and offering a sense of meaning and togetherness. A healthy family connected through emotional intelligence can be a great source of true love and a perfect tool to help us navigate life’s challenges. But building a stress-free, happy, and healthy family requires work, patience, and determination.
Elisa is an expert in education coaching who focuses on helping students entering undergraduate programs. She is an enthusiastic contributor eager to promote personal growth through sharing their expertise with others. Elisa has extensive expertise in advising students on their route to making big academic and life decisions and those who are preparing for undergraduate studies, by integrating numerous methodologies and tips that bring the best results.
Erin shows overscheduled, overwhelmed women how to do less so that they can achieve more. Traditional productivity books—written by men—barely touch the tangle of cultural pressures that women feel when facing down a to-do list. How to Get Sh*t Done will teach you how to zero in on the three areas of your life where you want to excel, and then it will show you how to off-load, outsource, or just stop giving a damn about the rest.