We might not agree on politics or the way things have been handled since the pandemic hit, or even who our next President will be, but one thing we can all agree upon is the fact that the pandemic has had all of us reassess our priorities. Suddenly that promotion at work, that fancy car we hoped to impress the neighbors with, and how much time we can spend at the pub with friends seems insignificant. Lockdown and quarantines have really driven home the fact that it’s quality time with the family that matters most in this world. That being said, many of us are working from home, children are schooling and participating in their extracurriculars from home, etc. Screens have literally become a necessity for our connection to not only the outside world, but, our lives. As parents it’s been engrained in our heads since the time our children were born that we need to limit their screen time. This struggle has never been more apparent and real than now. Balancing required screen time for school, extracurriculars, and downtime with games on tablets has really proven to be a challenge for us parents. The narrative has really been flipped, we used to schedule screen time and now we must schedule time to unplug and spend screen-free quality time together as a family. Unplugging those screens has also been proven beneficial for their mental health, but how can quality time with the family compete with Disney+, Among Us, Roblox, and Minecraft? By coming up with some super-appealing activities, that will have their heads turned.
Fishing
While it may seem like an older person’s activity, fishing has become a more millennial way to relax. Rather than sitting alone by the side of a river for hours on end waiting for a bite, the exciting world of ice fishing has now become an action-packed family day out. Tours provide all of the training and equipment you need to try and catch some walleye and salmon. You might even fancy heading to a frozen lake with an ice fishing tackle kit to help you catch some perch and trout. Wrap up warm and combine your ice fishing with hot cocoa in thermoses, building an igloo or snowman! This is definitely an activity your kids will be eager to tell all their friends about and helps promote family bonding!
Beach Day
There’s nothing more exciting than a beach day, especially if you live far away from the coast. By tapping into the unusual, you are giving your activity a wow factor. Think about taking some food, packing up a tent, some buckets, shovels, and beach games. By selecting a gorgeous sunny day, you can have a mini vacation. Your kiddos will get a kick out of venturing to the beach even during its usual offseason. You could even go rock pooling and shell hunting. By exploring the beach, you are also adding an educational element to your quality family time together.
Barbecues Year Round!
To widen your family circle, why not consider hosting an event at home. Ban the laptops, the smartphones, and the tablets for the day and enjoy having the grandparents over, the uncles, aunties, and cousins. We get some lovely days in the fall and even winter, why not check the forecast for a nice day and have everyone bring a lawn chair, and get a fire going in the firepit. Being together as an extended family might not happen too often, so why not be the person to facilitate it. Consider having a barbecue and inviting your guests to each bring a dish. You could rustle up some smoky pork ribs, some juicy burgers, hotdogs, and some halloumi and veggie kebabs. Barbecues are a great way to be social and to enjoy making memories with the kiddos. Having the whole family together means that you can chat, relax, and enjoy one another’s company.
Being a responsible and caring parent, you don’t want to lose your children to screens and video games. Follow this guide and enjoy making many more memories together.
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 