How to be More Intentional with Family Time

Thinking back to last year (2015), what was your favorite memory?  We’re guessing it was something that involved your spouse and your kids.

It is so easy to forget about setting aside time with our kids and spouse as time progresses through the year – we write out goals – fitness resolutions, goals for our finances, and even perhaps personal achievement goals.  But how often do we write out scheduled time with our kids?

We’re not talking about spending regular time with the kids – we are talking about making intentional time … intentional moments that you can set as a goal just like you would have any other goal.

After all .. your family is the reason that you work SO hard – right?

Fun Adventures with your Kids

Make a point this year of setting aside intentional time with your kids – in fact, make it a weekly event. Perhaps find an outing you can take them on that you can make a commitment to do each week. Our kids are small.. so it’s the park – the Dollar Theater as a family on Tuesdays. 

You could even take them on some special adventures – if you can’t afford to go out of state, we have some pretty fabulous adventures here or HERE in the local area you could do with them.

Take it a step further and put your phone away .. they just want to see YOU spend time with them, they don’t care where they go or how much you spend.

Time Spent with your Spouse

As hard as it is for some of us to get away with our spouse, it’s something that needs to be a priority too – if it’s too hard to leave the kids with a sitter, then do something during the day when they are in school.

OR, find a friend that can watch the smallest and take off during the day to do some Rock Climbing, or even Paintball. Meet each other for lunch. Head to the Dollar Theater on Tuesdays. No matter what it is, make it work around your schedule and make a point of getting away – even if it is a budgeted date.

If you can spare a little extra cash and have someone reliable to watch your children, skip out for a night at a Bed & Breakfast or head to Sedona for a mini getaway.  Can’t do that? Invest in a POGO Pass, and you’ll have a full year’s worth of fun to do without any extra (unless you pick up a quick bite to eat!)

Time Spent with your Family

Family time is SO fun and SO important!  Take the time to think about special things you can do every week with your family as a whole – game night on Fridays with Pizza? Or.. invest in a projector and watch a family movie a few days a week.

Or, head to the park as a family and let the kids ride bike on the bike trails while you walk with your spouse (behind them, of course!) Spend that time plugged into each other so that your kids can see that you value time spent with them.

If you have time on your weekend try some of these road trips we mentioned here, or even here OR… HERE, too!   Some of them are a great way to get out and see the local area AND talk to your kids on the road trip.

Forget the commitments and appointments that you may have with other families  – yours always comes first.

Let your kids see that you truly enjoy and treasure the time you have with them outside of work… in turn, they’ll feel a greater sense of self worth and love from seeing your commitment to their lives.