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.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Family Night is a great plan!
)
Ours is where all the family or friends come over, we have a yummy dinner and then we play a game after dessert!
I love it!
(P.S. How are you?
I loved reading this Jane…very inspiring. I am going to work towards this with my family. Can’t wait to see the photos.
Love this Jane…I love how you are building tradition into your home. I’m so coming to one when I’m in Sydney next!
Thanks girls. Sometimes you just have to make a decision to do something hey?
Hi Mary! Love that you’re part of the Family Room picture! I’m great honey, hope you’re enjoying year 10!! Hi to mum and dad from me xo
Jane, thank you for posting this. I love the idea of a Family Night playlist…I’m going to make one for the car when we’re out as a family too.
Sounds like a great plan Jane. Like you, our family nights have been centred around a movie, popcorn and junk (then a trip to the dentist once a month). I too have been challenged to put more effort into this night. You’ve given me some great ideas. Thank you!
I LOVE family night. Actually, ours have been so much fun we are challenged to get our eldest to go to youth on Friday nights.
Friday’s have been our ‘Friday Night Family Party Nights’ and we always have fun. It is an excellent thing to do and creates such amazing memories and closeness within families.
Susan
Sounds great Jane, can we be adoptive family? Like Susan, our usual family night has been hijacked by Youth Group and I have been slack about introducing another night. You have inspired me to start again.
Sam.
Great idea Jane! Look forward to seeing the photos!
Obviously a great conversation and something people are interested in. Look forward to the pictures as well.
Susan
Sounds awesome Jane, we are the same as a couple of the girls with Youth Group etc on Friday nights, but the family unit really needs this, as you say maybe not every week as this comes around so quick. All the kids etc are growing so fast (we are not getting any younger ourselves) we have a short moment in life to create this tradition.
Let’s go for it.
great Stuff
Bea