When setting our priorities, making decisions, and establishing boundaries, the people who live within the walls of our home should be at the forefront of our mind. Forget the outside noise, the societal pressures, and the endless opportunities lurking around every corner to keep us running the race to nowhere. Instead, consider the effect each decision will have on your family as a whole.
As my kids get older, their individual personalities continue to reveal themselves and it is fascinating how each of them have strong interests in very different things. My oldest loves all things sports and writing, my second loves animals and art, my third loves building and science, and my little one loves babies and music (though she still has a few more years before her true passions will be evident).
My husband and I have some basic principles we do our best to follow: school comes first, we eat dinner as a family each night, and we do not over-schedule ourselves or our kids. All of these principles are very important to us, so we need to get a little creative when it comes to ensuring we are able to pursue our kids' passions while still adhering to the boundaries we have set.
To this point, we have done what we can to provide our kids with opportunities at home and family outings that compliment each of their interests and foster their knowledge and development of their talents and passions. This may be the year, though, where we up the ante a bit.
When you have a large family, it can be a challenge to spend time with each child individually. We are starting our year off by committing to a one-on-one date with each of our kids this month. For Christmas, we gave each of our kids an "experience gift." My husband or I will take each of our kids on a special date day geared towards their interests. I'd love to say we would do this every month, but I think setting a goal of three to four times this year is probably more realistic. I'm hopeful this will be a really great opportunity to connect with each of our kids without all of the distractions and have a little fun.
We have also planned a few family vacations this year that will tap into all of the our interests. This spring we are taking a road trip to Arizona where we will spend time at the Grand Canyon, Cubs spring training, a zoo, and museums. One of the best investments we made to date is purchasing a yearly Fun Bundle pass from our local family museum. With this pass, we have access to three attractions in our area, as well as museums and zoos all over the country either at a discounted price or, better yet, free. We get a lot of bang for our buck and the kids have enjoyed checking out zoos and museums all over the country. To kick off our summer, we'll make our annual trip to Topsail Island, North Carolina, and stop for a few new adventures along the way. This tradition has quickly become the event I look forward to most each year.
Over the past few months we have spent some time researching various recreational programs in our area for our kids. We have found a few programs we like, but are unsure if we can make this work for our family. Unfortunately, our town does not have much to offer in this department, but my husband and I are working to network, tap into people in our community's talents, and bring some new programs to our community. I want my children to pursue their interests, but do not want to over-schedule ourselves or compromise the boundaries we have set.
When it's all said and done, though, one of the easiest and most fun ways for our kids to explore their interests is to provide them with opportunities right here at home. We're making over our daughter's room to include an art studio and animal-print accessories that will really reflect her personality and interests. Our youngest son is always asking to have science time. It wouldn't take much to set up a little experiment lab in the kitchen every now and then and let him at it. Our oldest and youngest kids are easy to please, so playing babies and watching sports it is.
Each day we're faced with countless decisions and as parents our natural instinct is to do all we can to provide our children with opportunities to be happy, successful, and thrive. While I want all of those things for my children, I don't want us to lose track of what is most important either: our family unit. My kids are much too young to be on the go night after night, but I think we can strike a healthy balance by exploring opportunities, thoughtfully making decisions, carefully planning trips and experiences, and taking time to focus on our kids one-on-one.
Family first.
#theyearofpeople
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