Fun on the Run by Carol McAdams Moore
-February 10, 2009-Comments (1)
Does your family feel as if they always are rushing from activity to activity? Running should be part of the fun, not the way you get there. Consider these 7 family friendly principles for prioritizing your schedule.- Family Mealtimes. How often do you choose fast food because you have not planned ahead? Plan ahead which evenings will be restaurant or drive-through evenings and which will be cook-at-home nights. Stick to the plan.
- Downtime. Without downtime, you will burn out quickly. God did not create people (including children) to be on the go nonstop. Plan time to be at home without structured activities or responsibilities. Refresh, recharge, and get reacquainted with those you love.
- Church Activities. Stay involved in worship and Sunday School. Pray about which other church activities will best help your family grow in their relationship to Christ.
- School and Community Activities. Consider a reasonable amount of involvement for community and school activities. Many parents of young children find that one extracurricular activity at a time per child is a good limit.
- Family Outings. Plan time for short outings (one or two hours or a whole day).
- Special Occasions. Strive to keep special occasions special. You may have wonderful memories of homemade cakes and elaborate meals. Continue the tradition with your own family.
- Chores. The laundry, dishes, and yard work can be part of a schedule. If there is a planned time to do the laundry, then it is more likely to get done. If not, it becomes an emergency operation in an already-too-packed schedule.
Carol Moore is a teacher and freelance writer. In addition to parenting articles, she writes devotionals, curriculum, and children's fiction. Moore and her family attend the First Baptist Church of O'Fallon, Illinois.
How does your family manage to have fun amidst a busy schedule? Share your tips with other ParentLife readers by leaving a comment.
Comments (1)
What a great list! I try to have the kids bathed before my husband gets home from work. I think it helps them relax after the school-day and he has more quality time to spend with them before bed.
Posted on February 15, 2009 9:00 PM