Schedule in Some Family Fun Time

Fall can be a tremendously busy time for families. With school starting back up and many extracurricular activities getting back into full swing, it often seems like everyone is running off in different directions at the same time. Sometimes it feels like you can barely get everyone to sit down to a meal together, let alone arrange a family activity.

That being said, there are plenty of important reasons for making the effort to spend quality time together as a family, as outlined in an article by Kathryn Walsh on Livestrong.com. Kids who have routine family time tend to feel more confident because it gives them the sense that they are worth being around. Plus, if you get them up and moving, then you're also encouraging good physical activity habits. While you're at it, having conversations with them about what's going on in their lives makes it more likely that they will come to you when they need direction.  Studies have shown that children who have five or more family dinners a week are significantly less likely to use drugs and alcohol.

 So what can you do together as a family? Well, it can be pretty much anything you enjoy. If you encounter some resistance to your ideas along the way, then consider giving each family member the chance to choose the activity on a rotational basis. This way kids further feel that their ideas are worthwhile and are being heard. If you find yourself stuck for ideas, try keeping in mind that the activities can be as big or as small as you want them to be. You really don't have to get carried away, spend a bunch of money or even leave the house. It's the time spent together and the communication that are most important.

The first thing you'll need to do when choosing activities is to take into consideration the ages of your children. You'll want to pick something that allows everyone to be involved in some way. If you want to stick close to home you can have a board game night, play some touch football in the backyard, have a make-your-own pizza party, plan a popcorn-and-movie night or any other fun activity you can dream up. If you want to go out you can do a ton of things - go to the beach, have a camp-out, take a trip to the pumpkin patch, go sledding, go to dinner and movie or simply go for a hike.

Once you've committed to a certain amount of family time, be sure to stick with it. Children love routine. In fact, if possible schedule family time at the same time each week and, once you have a plan, be sure to mark it on the calendars around your house so that everyone knows what's coming up. Even better than that, order a special calendar devoted to family activities (use fun family photos on the pages). It will help build the excitement for upcoming events and let the kids know that those days are important ones. If you have small children who don't yet read, try placing stickers on the calendar to signal family time. Once you have your plan in place all that's left is to have fun - be present and stay open to whatever comes up.