As children get older, finding time together is becoming more difficult. Between play rehearsals, karate calls, and youth group activities, families spend many evenings apart. Having a consistent, scheduled evening each week (or monthly if you’re not able) where you don’t plan activities except spending time together, which will allow time to reconnect, set aside digital devices, and truly come together as a family.
2. Spend dinnertime together at the family dinner table every night if possible.
There’s something unifying about coming together at the end of a busy day to spend a time calm and comforted by good food and a loving atmosphere. When your children are smaller, it can be difficult to get everyone on the same page at the same time when it comes to eating dinner. But as your children get older, the family dinner table becomes more and more important, and you will look forward to that time together, relish it, and one day look back on it fondly with a tear in your eye.
3. Have a daily family devotion time.
Nightly family devotions can keep a family rooted. It’s a consistent time each day that we come together to study His word, give prayer requests and praises, as well as discuss important family issues. Our children are old enough now that they take turns participating in our devotional time, and even lead the lesson or prayer time themselves. Watching and listening as they pray from their heart or share a truth they recently found in the Bible is a joy I cannot explain. As parents, we strive to pass our faith onto our children, and by spending time together in the Word each day, making it a priority, we are passing on our love of the Lord to them by our examples and that’s the best way!
4. Schedule consistent date nights.
Yes, this one doesn’t include kids, but it’s an important way to bring your family closer together. For your family to run smoothly like a well-oiled machine, you have to have a strong foundation daily in Christ (we covered that in goal #3), and you and your spouse have to work together as a team. Spending quality time, just you and your spouse is super important to the health of your family. It’s so much easier to work as a team when you are in sync with the other player.
5. Do a community service project together.
There are so many different options for this activity. Find a project that aligns with your family’s passions, and serve those less fortunate. It’s amazing the lessons both children and parents can learn when we spend time giving back. And the rewards are great when you bond together as a family during an activity like this!
Our main goal as parents is to raise children who love the Lord.
Check out Dave Stone’s Raising Your Kids to Love the Lord. It’s a great resource for Christian parents!
