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Take a family walk. Grab the dogs, the leashes, and a couple of water bottles and get the heck out of dodge. Go just far enough away from home to walk without interruption from friendly neighbors and just stroll. Don’t bring up any difficult topics, don’t confront anyone about unacceptable behavior, just take your family for a walk and leave your collective worries in the dust.
Treat everyone to dinner. Let this be a surprise even if it’s just the local burger or teriyaki joint. If you plan dinner out in advance, don’t tell everyone you have a consensus--it was an awful, terrible, rotten day. Then do your best imitation of the Dad in A Christmas Story when he says, “All right, get dressed. We are going out to eat!” And watch those frowns turn upside down.
Celebrate the small stuff. Don’t wait for birthdays and anniversaries to celebrate each other. Try to recognize one person in the family every week. Was someone selected for the school play? Maybe someone else got to play for the varsity team. Maybe mom got elected to a position in the PTA. When it’s a big enough deal, head out for ice cream or bring home bakery cupcakes. And
don’t forget, you can stick a birthday candle in just about anything.
Whether it’s a quick
Create a family altar. Use a
Lows,” sharing a story
game of “Highs & from the day, or just
large hutch, buffet, or fireplace mantel as the main display area for a well-blended family. Find words that describe your family values or blocks with sweet sayings on them. Add photos of each person that really show their personality. Ask each member to contribute one or two personal items that may seem quirky separately, but when combined together, perfectly capture the spirit of your clan.
tucking in and kissing goodnight, end on a
with a smile. Whether it’s a quick game of “Highs & Lows,” sharing a story from the day, or just tucking in and kissing goodnight, end on a consistent happy note no matter what the day was like.
Have a do-nothing day of rest. Stay in
your jammies until noon on a Saturday morning. Cook a big messy breakfast, or grab the paper and some doughnuts. Watch a movie in the middle of the day with fresh popcorn. Don’t bother cleaning up until the eleventh hour. Just enjoy the splendid imperfection of being the family you are right now...happy and relaxing together. mp
consistent happy note
no matter what the day was like.
Have an end-of-day ritual. Our family enjoys reading a book from a book series out loud before bed. But make yours whatever your family finds relaxing and enjoyable, so everyone can drift off to sleep
Christina Katz loves nothing better than relaxing deeply with the people she loves most so everyone can reboot and reconnect. She often wins at games of luck and is not afraid to crow about it.
Join us for a celebration of God’s goodness through praise and worship, followed by a life-applicable Biblebased teaching by senior pastor John Schmidt via video. Come casual and enjoy our service that starts at 9:30 a.m. every Sunday at the Jim Wilson YMCA at New Park. Nursery and children’s program provided.
For more information contact our office at (334) 356-3076 or visit our website at centeringlives.com
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