Make Family Time Enjoyable

November 16, 2009 by Jennifer

Today’s Guest post is by See Saw Star @ My Precious Pennies

More often than not, a family outing ends up being fun and enjoyable for everyone…except for the mom or dad responsible for organizing it. After all, someone’s got to be responsible for looking up possible attractions, procuring admission tickets and/or seats, and handling the dreaded lunch hour. A lot of times we sacrifice our own enjoyment for the sake of our family, but it’s not really quality family time if mom is reduced to little more than a lady-in-waiting.

Quality family time does not come from what is done, but instead how it is done. If your goal is to have some quality family time, then focus on be having fun as a family instead of running around trying to see all of the exhibits in the zoo. If your goal for the day is an educational field trip to study the animals, then by all means make the exhibits and animals your main priority. There’s nothing wrong with having educational family time, but it’s important to set and keep your priorities for the day.

That being said, you needn’t pay a small fortune at a zoo just to have some quality family time. In my opinion, more distractions equal less family time. I’m sorry, but the poo-flinging monkey is, and always will be, a lot more interesting than anything else and chances are the rest of the conversations of the day (or week) will be somehow related to that monkey.

It’s definitely nice to get out of the house, especially when winter is fast approaching. Take the family to a local public park and just have a picnic. There’s no parking issues to worry about, no admission tickets, no souvenir shops to avoid like the plague…just your family and that nutritious lunch made up of food that you got on sale last week. Relax under a tree and play the good old games of hide ‘n seek, or catch, or even fly a kite. Take the time to just enjoy your family. For under $10 and minimal stress, you could spend a quality afternoon together as a family.

Going to a park every weekend could get boring, so the next weekend, why not pack the family up and volunteer together for a day? Whether it’s the animal shelter, soup kitchen, or a church event…it’s a completely stress-free outing that takes little to no planning on your part. Some organizations even buy you lunch…! Not only is it a great way to spend some quality time together, you would also be lending a much needed helping hand. It’s a great way to foster the sense of giving and volunteering. Every hand, no matter how small, can help. Even if all your two year old can do is talk about her new Barbie playhouse, I’m sure the folks at the nursing home will be grateful for her mere presence.

Get creative with ways to spend time with you family on a dime. If you’ve got a boy who loves all things firemen, call up the local fire-station and ask if you can get a tour of the fire house one weekend. If your kids are dog-lovers but your family just isn’t ready for puppy parenthood, ask a dog-owning friend to bring over the four-legged cutey for an afternoon play date. Attend different cultural holiday celebrations held locally to sample some different foods and learn about the different cultures of the world right in your own neighborhood.

Family time should be centered on your family, and not anything else. Everything else should be secondary to your quality time. The more planning and stress that an outing requires, the less family time you’ll be able to enjoy. Just because the trip took weeks to plan and cost more than the entire month’s grocery budget, it’s not a guarantee that it will be quality family time. It’s so easy to get caught up in going places and seeing things, so something we just have to get back to the basics and focus on what really matters – celebrating the individuals in our families!

SeeSawStar is dedicated to helping you Save your Precious Pennies by blogging about good deals,freebies and any bargains she can find! Be sure to enter her Giveaway here!