Tag Archives: Family Connection

Three Must Do Things to “Connect and Rejuvenate” on Your SPRING BREAK

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family riding bikes

Many of you are getting ready to take spring break trips or take off time to be with your children during this official “time off” for your children. Some of you may not be able to take off official time, but plan to do a few special things with your children during this time frame. Regardless, we all want to make the best of this precious time we have with our families.

Here are three “Must Do Things” to “Connect & Rejuvenate” on your Spring Break.

1. Put some “OFF TIME” in your Spring Break. We are all so “ON” all of the time that our bodies need so badly to stop and recuperate. Yes we want to do some special, fun activities with our children. And this is important. But, remember to consider your pacing of activities so you don’t feel like you are running a race, but have time to relax and enjoy with pleasure each activity you put in place. Some like to alternate more active and more quite activities. Of course, the age of your children will make a difference. This “OFF TIME” allows you the space to really connect.

2. “BE WITH” your loved ones. This is more that doing an activity with your family. It is really focusing on and giving your full attention to your children and your spouse. This involves listening, reflecting and sharing thoughtfully – true communication.

3. Include some “TECHNOLOGY FREE TIME” in your plans. Of course we cannot chuck our iPhones for a full week, but we can take breaks from our technology. This includes our cell phones, our i pads, our lap tops, our face book accounts, our tweeting, our emailing, etc., etc. We can choose not to allow these items for ourselves as adults and for our children for certain activities or time periods.

These simple three items can increase your chances of connecting and rejuvenating during spring break regardless of your plans.

family swimming

Remember spring break is   .  .  .

  • a “break” from being in ON mode and a time for rest & relaxation
  • a “break” from your work and a time for your family
  • A” break” from your technology and a time for personal one on one with your family

Happy Spring Break to you all. Enjoy these precious moments with your loved ones!

Fun Family Picnics in the Park

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family picnic

Children love the park. The wide open spaces to run and jump and be active. It is a wonderful place to connect as a family. Children are normally up to go to the park. Plus,  you add food and it is a winner for a family activity. I would like to offer ideas to consider for making this a time that families can connect and find this fun and rewarding.

Putting the “FUN & CONNECTION” in Your Family Picnic

  1. Plan together as to where you will go and when. Plus, what you will take and do when you are there. This extra piece of planning together as a family is connecting and it helps with everyone buying into going. Another possibility is to let each family member have a turn at choosing a park to go to opposed to jointly deciding. This would of course mean that you can plan enough picnics to accommodate all the family members.
  2. Have everyone in the family make or help make a food item to take to the picnic. Contributing is rewarding and can help each family member feel valuable no matter how small.
  3. You might consider everyone choosing an item they want to take to the park – toys or pieces of equipment or materials they wish to bring for fun. Examples: Balls, Frisbees, Sidewalk Chalk, Bubbles, etc.
  4. Have a “technology free” day. Cell phones can be silenced and texting, emailing, etc can be put on hold during your outing. Yes, you may get a few grumbles, but families can be in charge of technology and how it affects their family. Letting your technology have a rest, while you connect face to face is a good thing! Letting everyone know ahead of time can be helpful and it can also offer you the opportunity to explain why – that you want to be truly WITH everyone face to face and without the interruptions of the outside world.
  5. As parents attempting to give all the children a bit of your full attention and focus. It can be quite a balancing act, but worth the effort.
  6. Consider ending the time together as you travel home with everyone reflecting on their favorite parts of the picnic.  This can highlight the good parts of the family activity. Of course there will be hick ups and this is a way to keep focus on the successful parts of the trip.

Check out www.tulsawalk.com  if you need help locating parks in Tulsa, OK. This site also has the park sites for the surrounding OK towns of Catoosa, Bixby, Bartlesville, Broken Arrow, Owasso and Sand Springs.

You might also want to visit the Tulsa County Parks website: www.parks.tulsacounty.org/ .  This has information on the major Parks and Centers, Special Events, Activities, Maps and Reservations.

Hope you have lots of fun family picnics this spring, summer and fall!

family on slide