4 Ways to Help Connect with Your Family

Connecting with your family and learning how to properly communicate takes care, patience, practice, and connection. Between jobs, school, screen time, and social responsibilities, it can be hard to prioritize our loved ones while balancing life. There are many ways you can connect with your family, and what you do will depend on you and your family’s interests. These activities could be wildly different, but they share the same aspects of being present, spending time together, and communicating. Here are four suggestions you can try incorporating int your family time.

Turn off the screens

Just being present can be hard with so many distractions. When spending time together with your family, try turning off your phone, just being present and there in the moment. Even if you’re not discussing your day or having a big conversation, being 100% there for our family shows commitment, even if it isn’t acknowledged.

Play outside

Ride a bike, throw a Frisbee, or run around. Living in Calgary is great because we’ve got outdoor green spaces to enjoy as well as periodic breaks in winter where we can get outside and enjoy nature. It can be as going for a walk together. The important thing to remember is just to spend time together doing the same activity!

Learn something new

Attend a class or group to learn a new skill! You’re both beginning, so you can help each other out and learn together. Try to pick a shared interest, so you’ll both be engaged and excited about the program. There are tons of free programs in Calgary you can take advantage of, try checking out the Calgary Public Library for a large variety of free events for all ages.

Go somewhere

Anywhere, if it’s with your family and your attention isn’t being pulled elsewhere. It can be a new place you haven’t been to, or maybe an old park you haven’t visited in a while. Submerge yourself in the experience, see how your loved ones experience it.

Sometimes spending time will take a lot of effort, and other times it will be very easy. When it comes to spending time together with loved ones, nobody expects perfection; they will appreciate spending the time together and the effort put forward more than the actual activity.