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In these hectic times, it can often feel as though there are many forces trying to pull your family apart. Technology has meant that your kids are always distracted by tiny glowing screens, whilst adults are expected to work ever-longer hours. It can seem like keeping a family together can be a massive undertaking in such an environment.
But this actually just means that as a parent you are more responsible than ever for the happiness of your family. You should be thinking of ways to keep your family together. This doesn’t just mean that you and your partner are not divorced. It means creating a sense of family, where there can exist clear lines of communication and an open atmosphere. It also means bonding through shared experiences and activities.
To help you out, we’ve come up with a number of ideas for ways to have your family stay together in the harsh and hectic modern world.
Regular Events
It can often seem like even the near future is unpredictable. As a parent you should be looking to create a sense of regularity in your family life. This means making sure that there is a fixture in the timetable of every week, where you and your kids can come together and spend time with each other.
This might mean a family meal, an afternoon walk or a service at Harvest Family Church. Whatever it is, it should be about bringing you closer as a family on a regular basis. Obviously you should try to do things like this more than once a week. Family meals, for example, have been proven to be beneficial for kids. But there should be one big immovable event in your weekly life.
Engagement Across Spheres
This means letting your kids know that you are interested in the school and social lives. As they grow older, your kids may seem more and more secretive and antisocial. If you can establish a non-invasive interest in their lives, then they should feel as though they are able to approach you with any problems that they may have.
This will ultimately mean that if they are even unhappy or confronted by a problem that they are having difficulty handling, they will be happy to approach you. This will not only make their life better, but it will bring you closer together.
Shared Interests
You may not be able to cultivate a shared interest between all of your children, but you should certainly be able to find one that you share with each of your kids. This can be a great way to establish some one-on-one time that will allow you to focus on something else whilst also bonding. Many kids find it hard to express themselves outright, especially as they transition into adulthood. So having an activity to focus on while you discuss your life in general can be a great way to get around this. You could combine this with our other tip, and establish some time together as a regular occurrence.
The ones that struck my eye were the K’NEX® Roller Coaster Building Sets. At the store they had a 
The set says ages 7+ but I think it is better for older children. My husband and 11 year old daughter started to put it together but my husband had to join in to help her a little which is great for some fun family time. This set helps spatially because you have to make sure each piece isn’t just connected to the correct other pieces but they have to be all going in the right direction, too. It is a challenge but one that is fun to do together.
We ran out of time before the deadline for this post but we’re planning on getting the set finished this weekend. We can’t wait to see how it turns out. It would make a great gift for any K’NEX® fan so check it out!
