Family Trips

Family trips can be a great way to bond with your children and they don’t require a large pocketbook. Some great options are going to the community park, going to a preserve park, a street fair, library functions, or driving to a scenic area of your community and packing a picnic. There are many options that have free admission. We even are lucky in our area to have a “free admission” amusement park. Take advantage of great opportunities like this! Check your local paper or news station for events in your area. 

The Family Nurturing Program is taking our families to a farm in April to enjoy the newness of spring and have some time of family bonding. In the fun of watching the animals bond with their little ones, we can find ourselves drawing close to our children. These are some moments that will bring us together and nurture. Smiles will abound that day, as the children enjoy watching chicks, and lambs, and who knows what else! 

Take the opportunity to find time to pack up the kids and go on a short local trip. This might scare some of you! What? Pack up the kids? Go on a trip? Yes! Pack them up and hit the road! They will remember it for years.

I remember taking my children to the blueberry patch, and to watch maple syrup get harvested. Yes, I did have one child who really was upset at the work involved in picking blueberries and at having to be held up above the crowd to see the entire process of making maple syrup, but both of my children remember the experience as a family growing time. Remember that every experience is not going to please everyone and you will have some breakdowns and maybe a few tears along the way when things don’t go the way your child expects. It is in these moments that we are tested as parents. Are we going to give up or are we going to use that moment to nurture and make the best of our time together. It is easy to just say, “Never mind!” and give up. Instead, try to take those moments to encourage your child to express their opinion, but also help them to see the fun in what you are doing. Every experience is an opportunity to grow! 

My family now spends a lot of afternoons going to a local preserve and lake. We take a nice walk, take some photos of nature, and enjoy a picnic lunch. This is something we look forward to and try to accommodate several times while the weather is nice. It enables us to communicate with our children as we walk and share in some awesome memories of silliness and fun together.  Even in the moments of "My feet hurt!" and "Bugs!" we can learn to nurture with a hug, a short walking break, and some gently applied bug repellent.

 Find some great activities for your family! Start looking today for some little trips you can venture out on to increase that family bond and nurture your family!