I have listened for years to my various girlfriends talk about Family
Night at their homes and the hilarity and great memories that seem to
be involved. My little family of four has always enjoyed Friday night pizza
night, with movies, popcorn and dessert which we observe like a
ritual, but since moving house recently, giving us a lot more space, I
thought it time to take it up a notch and invite everyone.
I have married into a beautiful Colombian family. We have created some
great memories over the years with amazing Christmas Eve celebrations,
trips, weddings and births, as well as the challenges that are part of
the deal. But with life just getting busier and the family getting
bigger, it occurred to me that we have to be intentional about the
strength of our relationships and plan for time together.
So with that in mind, we have already locked in two dates, six weeks apart
for our first Family Night gatherings. We all live about half an hour’s drive from each other so every week won’t work as it does for some families.
We figure every six weeks will be do-able. We are all at different ages
and stages and have different interests, so we’ve kept the time frame
open. I’m home from the school run at 4pm, so anytime after that is
fine and if you can only come for an hour then that’s ok too.
Inspired by Family Room beauty Michaela, I’m creating a playlist for
the night so that certain songs will bring back memories for all the
kids involved, reminding them that they are loved and part of a
community of people who value them and cheer for them in all that they
do.
We plan to play very competitive Wii and Monopoly; my 10-year-old son
wants to play poker for Minties! We will use this time to watch clips of dance concerts and view photos of trips. If it’s your birthday, you get to choose the dinner party games.
The value of creating memories for our kids can’t be underestimated.
It communicates worth and safety and belonging.
What does Family Night look like for you? What could it look like for you?
Michaela is planning to post some great ideas for Family Night games and
my girlfriend Kym Cross will share what Family Night means for the people in her world. She has married into an amazing family with a home that has been open for years to children with disabilities.
We hope that together we will inspire and encourage you, so stay tuned.
Lv Jane
PS. I’ll post some pics of our first night.
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