Can you believe it's June? 2021 is already almost halfway over!
I took this past week off from work to spend some much needed time with my family. Below is a picture of the four of us at the Dinosaur Resource Center near Colorado Springs, CO posing behind a megalodon's mouth.
We also visited the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo where we got to feed giraffes and get up close and personal with a bunch of other animals. It was so cool!
This past week, we enjoyed making fun memories together.
That is what I want for you and your family too -- opportunities to make time for fun and connection.
Yes, being in a relationship can be challenging sometimes. And being a parent can be challenging a lot of times. It's definitely not always sunshine and rainbows.
But if you don't make the time to enjoy each other's company, connect, and have fun, it will be more challenging to have a functional family.
Connection and fun are FUNdamental (see what I did there???) to a family that thrives. When you and your partner have fun together, you create positive associations with each other, appreciate each other more, and soften any negative perceptions. Having fun helps to balance out disconnection, conflict, and other negative impacts on your relationship.
This is why date nights with your partner are crucial, especially when you have young children. Kids take a lot out of you as a parent because they need you so much. They pull you away (for good reasons most of the time) from your partner. So it's up to you and your partner to be intentional about connecting regularly with each other. Ideally, one date each week between just the two of you is preferred (no kids allowed!). When you have littles, this might be a bit challenging, but do what you can to make time for adult-only connection and fun, even if it's in 15-20 minute fragments throughout the week.
Of course, fostering connection and fun with your entire family will keep your bond together strong as well (like my recent family vacation), but don't forget to prioritize the need for that one-on-one time as well.
If you're looking for some creative ways to connect and have fun with your partner, I put together a FREE RESOURCE GUIDE that includes 8 great dates that you can have at home along with some other valuable guides. Check it out!
And if you have any fun summer plans, I'd love for you to share!
I will connect again next week, my friend. I hope you make some time for fun until then!
With gratitude,
Christie Sears Thompson
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
The Partnerhood (www.thepartnerhood.com)
Trade Winds Therapy & Relationship Coaching (www.tradewindstherapy.com)
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