Fruit

Fruit BY MALLORY HARMON

Family time is not a science. There is no formula that will ensure that all of your kids will enjoy the activity you have chosen and become more connected as a result. Family time must be initiated by example and introduced as an activity that everyone will nd enjoyable. You must not have the mentality that family time is something to be crossed off of your list for the week.

Here is an example: If you want your children to love cooking, you don’t hand them a recipe and tell them it is their job to make dinner that night. Instead, choose a fun recipe yourself, get some music going (music attracts kids almost as ef ciently as food), show them that you enjoy cooking and that it does not have to be a chore. They will probably join in without being asked.

Likewise, you should not announce once a week that everyone is going to congregate on the living room oor to play a board game together because they need family time. First, you must nd an original way to spend time together and introduce it as an enjoyable experience and not as a family time that needs to be accomplished (try out the music trick).

Also, due to the current reader demographic, I am directing this article toward parents. However, if you teach your children to love spending time with each other from the start, they will initiate family time themselves.

Here is an example of productive family time:

A friend gave me a juicer. My family had never owned a juicer before this, so it was a fascinating enigma to my siblings when I brought it home. My older sister, Madison, immediately suggested that we run to the store to get fruit (she initiated the activity herself).

TEAMWORK DISCOVER

Teamwork is the most effective type of family time.

Back home, my siblings and I automatically began to form an assembly line. I peeled oranges, sliced apples, washed strawberries, prepared pineapple and peeled mangos while Meredith popped the fruit into the top of the juicing machine and cackled with a satis ed grin as the fruit was pulverized. Madison collected the juice, which shot out the other end of the juicer and ran around the kitchen frantically searching for more makeshift juice holders. Soon, virtually every container in the kitchen was out on the island lled with sweet smelling, brightly colored juices. Discovery is the most memorable type of family time.

Obviously, we had to try every combination; two parts watermelon, one part pineapple, with a hint of mango or one part strawberry, one part green apple and grape to taste; each combo tastefully served in solo cup shot glasses. Apparently, a splash of lemon brings out every avor of fruit it is mixed with.

Weeks of smoothies from fruit juice ice cubes, cold refreshments from fruit juice popsicles and snacks of plain old fruit juice became the trophies of successful family time.

Nu Expression