In honor of family fun and connecting with our kids in loving ways, I wanted to share a few ideas to help you during winter holidays. I’ve been talking with my clients about ideas to make school vacations enjoyable. So, I thought my readers might appreciate some tools I’ve put together, too!

Photo by Jimmy Conover on Unsplash

Do you feel like school vacation might wear you out? Try Family Fun Time!

Here are 7 ideas to help you feel better! 

Depending on where you live, it is often grey and cold in the winter. Sunny days make it easier to feel excited about life, but sometimes you still have a long afternoon ahead of you. Some family fun can turn things around quickly. As one of my new clients said this week, “I’m happy if the kids can just get along and play without fighting. That feels like a vacation.”

So how do we keep the peace and make vacation fun? 

1.  Be playful and creative! Print out and try my Winter Family Fun Poster. Or, have your kids help make a new one filled with ideas they come up with and either write down or draw. If they are in upper elementary, middle or high school, they might enjoy making one on Canva– a great website that is fun, free and user friendly.

2. Brainstorm 10 things. Whether you have young kids or teens, you can ask them to name 10 things they want to do over vacation and then offer to help make those things happen as best you can.

3. Model having fun. Sometimes the best way to get kids involved in family fun is just to start doing something fun yourself. Last night, I got out some watercolor paints and just started doodling and my 14 year old asked if she could make some, too. We ended up having a great conversation about all sorts of things as we sat there and painted together at the kitchen table.

4. Give yourself permission to take a breather from your regular activities. Take a moment to think about what you like to do and when you feel most happy. See if you can do some of those things in a group space of your home where your kids can see you enjoying yourself. They will often join you, whether you are reading, creating, exercising, or making something yummy to eat.

5. Lie down and put your feet up in the daytime. Sometimes we just need a break and when we lie down, our kids will often join us. I’ve been doing this in the late afternoon after a day of Zoom and every time, one of my teens will come lie next to me for a snuggle – nothing warms my heart more!

6. Get outside! Even if it’s freezing or raining, if you can get yourself and your kids outside for a little family fun, moods will shift and everyone will feel better.

7. Hug! Being close to someone and just breathing as you take in their presence and send them love calms frayed nerves and stirs up love. Try it!

Lean into your childlike self and open up to more fun, playfulness and joy!

Photo by Mayur Gala on Unsplash

Who I serve: I coach parents from coast to coast in the US and internationally.  Thanks to Zoom, I am currently coaching parents from Boston to Seattle, Connecticut to California, as well as New York, Ohio, and Colorado. I’ve worked with parents in Bermuda, Japan, Portugal, and Canada as well. I’m grateful for these global and domestic connections!