How much time we spend with our families is important. But a study published in 2015 showed that it was actually the quality of that time that really mattered, more than how much there was of it. Which is good news for most parents who are struggling to balance life and work, while maintaining the schedules their family members each have to adhere to.
As children become teens it can be hard to find a way to focus on one another. Everyone is running around, with friends, working, going to school, going to extracurricular activities…who has time for anything else? But unfortunately this busyness can lead to missing problems common in adolescents, namely plummeting self esteem.
One way to combat that problem is through family team building exercises. These increase your strength as a family unit, improve communication between you and your kids and can help boost a child or teen’s self image.
Physical Activity
There are many physical activities that you and your children can engage in that are very affirming. Sports are one example. Maybe you and your family could head to the park once a week to play some soccer, or shoot some hoops at the local elementary school. Perhaps just a game of football in the backyard would do the trick.
Another option is to go on a hike, or engage in other outdoors activities. These require cooperation to succeed and take advantage of fresh air, sunshine and natural beauty.
Being active as a family will also improve overall health, which is a major concern for self esteem.
Volunteer Work
There is nothing like the plight of others to help to gain some perspective and improve self esteem. Volunteering as a family is a fantastic way to bolster your team building, while doing something good for the community. Try handing out food in a soup kitchen, or going to the humane society to work with animals. Maybe you could clean up a river front of garbage, or go to the local nursing home to visit with those living there who have no visitors.
This looks great on college on college applications, as well! So that adds another dimension to volunteer work that can help even further.
Courses and Classes
Why not learn something new by taking a course or class together? Learn a new language. Discover how to cook a new dish. Take an astronomy class and find out the names of the nearest stars.
Rec centers are excellent for these types of classes, and offered at an affordable price.
Find out more at Parent Learning Center.
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