When it comes to fostering great lifelong relationships with your children, nieces and nephews, go long! Finding ways to stay close throughout the years can be more difficult as adult children invest in their careers, get married, have their own children and even move away. Here are three tips for finding quality time together that you’ll all enjoy.
Take a Trip
Planning trips together can be a great option, especially when you don’t live in the same town.
“For years I lived just an hour away from my mom,” says Micaela Myers. “But even then it seemed like visits were short and rushed, so instead of getting her presents for her birthday, Mother’s Day and Christmas, I’d rent us a cabin in the local mountains for a weekend once a year. We’d hike, shop the antique stores, eat out and play cards. We made great memories.
“Last year I moved to Wyoming,” Myers continues. “So this summer my mom is coming for a month, and we’re going to take a mother-daughter trip with a friend and her mom up to Yellowstone. My mom wants to go zip lining. I can’t wait!”
Even a weekend getaway can make for quality time you won’t find at home and there are many vacations that are great for the entire family .
Help Each Other
When his grandson was younger, Don Hanley helped him and his friends make toys that they played with in their youth, such as wooden cars and rubber-band guns.
“This allowed me to share some of the experiences I had as a kid. And it was a pleasure to watch him and his friends create their own models and then have hours of fun playing with them,” Hanley says.
Now that his grandson is a teenager, he can return the favor by helping his grandfather, while still learning from him.
“Our backyard brick steps were so uneven and unsafe,” Hanley says. “Since I can no longer do that kind of physical work, I asked my grandson to do it for me. I was surprised at how interested he was in learning the ‘how to’ part. He spent several hours and to this day still comments on the fact that he laid those bricks.”
Don’s wife Anne spends quality time with their grandson by offering to help drive him to his sports and after-school activities. Helping one another is a great way to spend time together.
Find a Mutual Hobby
Finding something you both enjoy doing is an ideal way to spend quality time with a loved one. Perhaps it’s watching sports, attending live sporting events, fishing, hiking, playing cards, making crafts or any number of things. Once you land on something that’s a great fit, schedule regular time to do it, such as watching the game on Sunday or buying season tickets. Many hobbies are great for multiple generations.
When it’s hard to get together in person, stay in touch in by using social media, video chat (such as Skype or FaceTime), phone calls, and emails.
Making quality time a priority can lead to deeper relationships and new, wonderful memories.
Resources:
3 Things You Can Do to Enhance Your Relationship With Your Adult Children – Voices.Yahoo.com
Are You a Good Friend to Your Grown-up Kid? – AARP.org