“Everyone listen up”, boomed a loud voice. “Is it individuals or teams today?”
Excited squeals of “teams, teams!”
Standing at the edge of the produce department by the entrance to the grocery store was a father with a list in hand and four children jumping up around the grocery cart.
“Ok, girls versus boys.”
“Yay” shouted the children.
Consulting his list Dad said, “You two boys, toothpaste and yogurt…you know the kind of yogurt the family likes. You two girls, diet coke, yes a six pack for Mom, and laundry detergent. On your mark, get set, go”
I laughed as the children scrambled in opposite directions rushing to be the first to return back to Dad’s cart. The game continued until Dad marked everything off his list. I was impressed with Dad’s parenting skills and gave him a nod of approval.
Dad had learned something important about building up his family. Spending time together as a family in fun activities creates a stronger family identity. It forges bonds that last a lifetime and traditions that are carried down as families grow. I often hear, however, my children want to do such expensive things, we can’t afford that. Having fun as a family doesn’t need to be expensive. Think of all the things that make a family function effectively…housework, shopping, laundry, etc. …now inject some fun into these. How about all putting on white socks and “dust skating” the floors? How about a “fold the clean towels relay race”? How about “kids cook dinner night”? Outside the home, how about an “I Spy” walk around the neighborhood? Have you heard of geocaching …it’s like a scavenger hunt. You just need a phone and a free app. There are so many interesting parks to explore in the Mobile area. How about a “pick a park” Saturday? I have heard of one family who does “Surprise Rides”…a parent yells “surprise”, everyone runs to the car for a ride to a mystery destination like to get ice cream, go to the Botanical Gardens, pick blueberries, or sight see downtown.
So put down the remote…walk away from the video games…get off the couch…and have some family fun. Laughing included! Family fun is the “stuff” of memories.
