Five Ways to Have a Date Night with your Family
It’s Valentine’s Day. Gifts are being exchanged. Candles are lit. The smell of roses fills the air. But as people everywhere celebrate this romantic holiday, do you remember the last time you had a “date” with your family? At Flint Hill, we have a very full calendar, and it doesn’t include all of the activities outside of school that put demands on our families’ time. Opportunities to connect can be hard to come by when you’re just trying to get through the day, but those connections are critical. We need those times when we can talk, laugh and simply enjoy our time together without watching the clock. So whether you make tonight a family “date night” or schedule one on an evening in the near future, here are five ways you can make the most of family time.
- Get cooking. Having a meal together is one thing, but planning and preparing a simple meal as a family not only takes the bonding factor to the next level, it also provides an opportunity for aspiring chefs of all ages to participate. Keep it simple with homemade pizza or by choosing a theme, and enjoy the conversations that unfold while you work together in the kitchen.
- Get board. That’s not a typo. We spend much of our time using digital devices, good old-fashioned board games can provide an analog method for introducing some healthy family competition and give you all a break from screens. This article from the Spruce has some great suggestions for multiple age groups.
- Give back. Consider an “outreach night” and spend an evening volunteering or engaging with the broader community in a meaningful way. If you don’t have a specific cause that’s meaningful to your family, that’s okay. Other examples include creating care packages for the homeless, writing letters to military service members, visiting an elder care facility, or volunteering at a soup kitchen.
- Take in a sporting event. The Washington area has no shortage of sports teams to watch every season. Whether your family prefers the field, the court or the ice, spend a night rooting for your favorite team together.
- Or participate in one. At the end of the long day, it can be hard to resist the siren song of the couch. Instead, consider doing something active as a family. Whether it’s a trip to a local bowling alley, an early evening hike, a bike ride, or a game of mini golf, look for opportunities to get moving as a family.