The Disappearing Family Room
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My family prioritized maintaining a 19th century aesthetic over getting reception of FOX. While we watched little TV, instead often working on puzzles together or making up stories, some of my best family memories revolved around our wooden encased 24-inch set situated in the family room. The family would watch MOONLIGHTING, until Maddie and David’s “mushy” kissing started in the Season 3. The mom and pop rental shop offered my hesitant parents heavy incentives, including a free movie rental each week for the following year. Over the years, like many families, we began to spend more time watching television, but less time watching it together. First my brother got a TV in his room, then my sister and I in our shared room. Today, this is common-place, yet is discouraged by the National Institute on Media and the Family because it inhibits participation in family activities.
Over half of parents indicated the primary reason they chose to put a TV in their child’s bedroom is to free up other TVs in the house so the parent or other family members can watch their own shows.
So what is a family to do? Movie night – kids’ choice: Choose a night of the week when everyone can be home and declare it kids’ movie night. Let the kids pick the film (taking turns between siblings, of course), and enjoy it together as a family. This may sound incredibly simplistic, but the instances of family’s watching a program together during prime time are pretty few and far between these days.
Board games: You can never go wrong with board games. Games like The Game of LIFE and Monopoly are timeless favorites. Like playing board games, bowling is a fun and competitive activity that is family and budget-friendly. Many bowling alleys have special family nights set aside specifically for this purpose.
Watch a family-favorite program together: Though it seems as though every other program on television after 8 p.m. is rated R (or PG-13), there are still some quality, family programming choices available. Make a commitment as a family to watch together.
Returning the living room to the “family room,” as opposed to just being the room everyone walks through as they leave the house can be a challenge, but helping preserve the concept of the “family room” is well worth the time and effort.
Back to School Organizing Basics – The ABC’s of Family Organizing
At the start of the school year is a great time to establish some basic organizing patterns for the family to stay organized and on time with activities. Following are three key ideas – the ABC’s of family organizing – that can form the foundation of an organized household for years to come.
Activity zones. Start by identifying the routine activities of your children which impact your home. These might be after-school activities, homework and that arrival home moment. For homework, try to create a dedicated place just for homework. The key is to create the space so it’s easy and attractive for kids to do their homework. Sometimes, the hardest thing is the “drop zone“. This is usually near the door kids come through after school.
Behavior. It can be as simple as wall hooks for jackets or their own storage space for projects.
For example, creating an after school routine for snack time.
Containers. As any parent knows dealing with legos or other small toys, sorting the small items into a separate container can make a big difference! The same is true for organizing a desk or bureau drawer, using small shallow trays or boxes can help to keep small items handy and visible.
When you select bins or containers, choose ones that kids can use themselves. As a general rule, keep heavy things near the bottom or on lower shelves and lighter things on higher shelves.
As you introduce the ABC’s of family organizing, remember changing behavior and forming new habits is not easy. Life runs easier with good routines in place!
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