Follow Up from Last Week
So many excellent conversations stemmed from last week’s newsletter. I knew I wasn’t alone in my relationship with my phone, but it was nice to hear from so many of you and to brainstorm ways that we can protect ‘non screen time” in our homes.
Some of those conversations deserve a followup in this week’s newsletter. Many of the conversations that I had this week asked a similar question: “But what do we do after 5:00 PM, and how do we make sure that it happens?”
Caleb and I have grappled with this in our own home, and while we are far from perfect, there are a few things that we’ve landed on that have been going well.
- Family Dinner. We eat dinner together as a family every night and phones (and all screens) are not welcome. We’ve set the expectation that at dinner we share our day, share our stories, and have conversation as a family. Since everyone’s device is put away for dinner, it makes it easier for their device to stay put away for the next hour or two.
- A family activity. After dinner many nights we do something as a family. Sometimes it’s a game we all play together, sometimes it’s a show we watch together, sometimes it’s a Mario Kart Grand Prix that everyone plays, sometimes it’s a book we are reading aloud (we are currently working through The Hobbit), and sometimes it’s a family walk. We’ve set the habit that most of the nights in our week there is a family activity of some kind immediately following dinner, we don’t use our phones while we do that activity, and everyone participates.
- It has to be easy. If it requires us driving across town or buying a bunch of things, chances are pretty good that it won’t get done in this house. We’ve found our family activities need to have minimal set up.
- We make a plan. Sometimes our family activity plans are a verbal agreement in the morning and sometimes our family activities are planned and scheduled early in the week. We’ve found that the most success comes when we communicate our expectations to each other.
I know I am always looking for new ideas and recommendations for what activities other families enjoy doing together. Since I mentioned that family activities are something we prioritize most nights of the week, I’m sharing some of our current favorites this week. I would love if you would write back and share some of your family’s favorites also. I’ll compile a list of all of our ideas and share them in next week’s newsletter so that you and your family can get some new ideas, too!
A few family friendly games in our current rotation
- Dixit — A fun story telling game that moves fairly quickly
- Catan Jr — Our kids aren’t old enough yet to all play Settlers of Catan, but this junior version is fun for kids (and not annoying for adults).
- Who Pooped — The funniest matching game you will ever play.
Tip: We haven’t always played games so frequently. Recently we moved our collection of board games to a more accessible area of our home. They were in cabinets before, and are now in our dining room on shelves. I’ve noticed that having games in a more accessible area is an invitation to use them more. About once a week we play a game as a family, but I’ve also found my kids pulling games out more regularly and playing with each other simply because they are in view. If you are struggling to make family game night part of your weekly routine, consider pulling a few favorites out and putting them on the table that your family eats meals at.
A few shows we watch as a family
It is hard to find a show or a movie that appeals to adults, teenagers, and early elementary aged kids. A few series that have gone over well in our house are the Star Wars mini-series shows like: The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. One of the appeals of these shows is that one episode is available each week which prevents binge watching. It reminds me of my childhood when we would all gather that one night each week to watch a show as a family. While there is a screen involved, a show can be a family entertainment activity when watched together. Doing things together instead of engrossed in individual screens is what we are after in our home.
A few family activities
At least one night a week we get outside as a family after dinner. We live right next to a nature preserve and we will sometimes take the dog for a walk as a family. Other nights we will “go for a scoot” (the name Caleb and the kids gave to a walk where they ride their scooters and the parents walk) around our neighborhood. But last week we stumbled upon a forgotten yard game that was collecting dust in our garage: Bocce Ball. We walk to our neighborhood park, play a quick two rounds, and then walk home in under an hour. Bocce has been fun to play because it’s skill level appeals to all ages.
What’s something your family likes to do together? I’ll compile a list of all of our ideas and share them in next week’s newsletter so that you and your family can get some new ideas, too!
Something the whole family uses
I’m positive you can do summer without this.
Positive you could juggle vacations.
Positive you could juggle long road trips.
Positive you could juggle ferrying kids from here to there.
Positive you could juggle doctor visits.
Positive you could juggle bug bites.
Positive you could juggle sunburn.
Positive you could juggle kids asking one million snacks a day.
Positive you could juggle back to school shopping.
Positive you could juggle swimming lessons where your kid is the screamer.
Positive you could juggle 2022.
Positive you could juggle feeling overwhelmed.
Positive you could juggle every single demand on your summer.
But honestly? I am just not sure why you would try to do any of those things without something that makes that list a whole lot easier for me and my family.
Eight years ago this past week I purchased my first Young Living bundle just in time for summer.
That first summer (and every summer after) these are the same oils and products that are in daily rotation at our house. They are used by our entire family and in my opinion makes everything you have to juggle this summer, easy.
The Summer Bundle Includes:
Thieves - Thieves is a wellness back up for when you are traveling this summer. Try applying to feet, diffusing, or taking in a capsule for immune system support.
Citrus Fresh - Citrus Fresh smells happy and uplifting and neutralizes bad odors. Try making a fruit and veggie wash with Citrus Fresh and Thieves to remove yucky pesticides from your summer fruits and veggies.
Frankincense - It’s incredible for skin, but also helpful for balancing emotions. Long days with kids calls for Frankincense, and so does my face after the beach!
Raven - When working out in the humid air makes breathing difficult, Raven helps you breathe easier. If you live in an area that still has seasonal allergies, this is a gem in your diffuser!
Digize - DiGize has saved me so many times in the middle of the night when summer bbq’s and gatherings with good food wake someone up with a tummy ache.
Lemon - Lemon is extra refreshing dropped in your water to help keep you hydrated. Lemon is also great for summer diffuser blends: it’s light and bright!
Stress Away - Dab Stress Away on your wrists when you are road tripping (or your child has asked for their five hundredth snack of the day). Stress Away does what it’s name says.
Peppermint - Peppermint is great for upset tummies caused by amusement park rides or long car trips. It’s also great for pesky insect bites and cooling sunburn.
PanAway - Sore muscles from fun summer adventures have met their match with PanAway. Try it in an Epsom Salt bath or directly on sore muscles.
Lavender - Lavender is workhorse in our home! It creates a calm environment and is great in the diffuser at bedtime, but also soothes sun soaked summer skin.
Peace & Calming - This is your answer to a peaceful lights out even as the days are longer than ever. Try combining it with Lavender in the diffuser at bedtime.
Valor - My very favorite oil for bringing my stress down and helping me find emotional balance.
Desert Mist Diffuser - This diffuser runs eight hours, has a one year warranty, and will help your home smelling like summer right out of the box.
A few more samples from Young Living and a curated welcome package from mecome package from me
You can grab your Summer Bundle right here. Once you do, let me know! I’ll send you a curated summer welcome packet that will make juggling everything you need to juggle… easier.
Snippet from my week
Bocce Ball Saturday night at the park in our neighborhood!
Thanks for reading! What games or activities has your family been enjoying lately? I would love to hear about it, and will share the list that I gather soon! Just hit reply if you’d like to respond. (When you hit reply, your message goes directly to my email. It’s a private conversation between just us.) I read all your messages and try to respond, but not always in a timely manner. Sorry! And if you enjoyed this email, you’d be doing me a favor by forwarding it to someone else who might like it.