A new year marks a fresh start and an opportunity to make changes that stick. While it’s important to develop personal and professional goals for yourself, it’s equally important that you do so with your family as well. This year, resolve to gather your family and create a family resolution with one another. To help get you started, our team at DriveTheNation.com has compiled a few ideas for Resolutions to Make With Your Family:
No Texting at the Table
While cell phones have become valuable tools to help us stay connected to our family and loved ones, they can also become a huge distraction. It is not considered good manners to have your phone out at the table, and can take away from the flow of the conversation about dinner guests. As a family, why not resolve to put your phone away while dining?
Surprise Family Road Trip
Cheaper gas prices have made highway travel an attractive alternative to crowded airports. Road trips are also a fabulous way to bond as a family. Make it fun and invite the children in your family to participate! Ask family members to submit a road trip destination idea on a piece of paper, then draw out of a hat to select where you will be going on your family trip. For larger families, consider renting a large SUV, camper or RV to ensure everyone in your growing family has the opportunity to join the fun.
Family Game Night
Busy professional and personal lives can make it exceptionally challenging to get together as a family. For children and teens, extracurricular activities can quickly fill up the calendar and homework should always take priority in the evenings. However, quality time spent with loved ones is equally important. As a family, determine a night each month that works for everyone and schedule a family game night. Then, each month, tally a vote to determine the game you play.
Volunteering
In my family, some of my fondest family bonding experiences resulted from volunteering experiences and charitable giving. One of my favorite memories was joining my family to feed the hungry at the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida in Orlando. Family volunteering strengthens families as well as the communities in which they reside. It also helps children develop compassion for others. Many nonprofits seek volunteers all year round, so select an organization that carries meaning for your family.
Have you ever made a family resolution? We’d love to hear from you! We invite you to submit your ideas in the comment section below.
