Quality Time

One thing I’ve noticed in recent years is how much our media affects family life. At the end of the day everyone in the family pulls out their iPods or computers and focuses on the news, movies, TV shows, music, E-books, Google, YouTube, Pinterest, and the list goes on.

But no one looks around the room to see their family members doing the same thing—endlessly tied to media and not paying any attention to each other.

What would it take to put aside the devices and the media for a single night just to play a board game with your brothers or sisters, or have a meaningful conversation with your parents? When was the last time you ate a meal together as a family instead of in the living room in front of Doctor Who or that 800-page novel you’re reading?

Quality time spent together helps a family grow. Doing meaningful activities as a family, whether playing a board game or going to the zoo on a Saturday afternoon, knits a family closer together.

So next time you’re at home with your family, go to the closet and locate Clue or Life, or go online and figure out how much it would cost for your family to go to the zoo or an aquarium for the day. The more time you spend together, the more memories you’ll make that you can look back on and smile.

Save the movies and other media for the rainy days. Go do something with your family.