"In the spring of 2020, my five kids (ages 4 to 13) were going stir crazy and getting on one another's nerves. One afternoon, my wife had enough and ordered everyone outside to the driveway. She proposed that we could convert our double car driveway into a life-sized Snakes and Ladders board...I don't know who won, but it was a great afternoon spent together, and it didn't cost us a thing. Kids love it when their parents get creative with summertime adventures. And sometimes, parents have to get creative to find things to do that don't cost all that much." This article has really great activities that will keep your whole family entertained.
When You Feel Like Doing Nothing: 100+ Screen-Free Ideas to Help Parents, Kids, and Teens Get Through the End of the Day
"Sometimes at the end of the day we just feel like doing nothing. But, in today's world that often translates to scrolling through social media, playing mindless games on a phone, watching another YouTube video, or responding to one last work email. We get it! While our devices are incredible tools and sometimes help us to de-stress, we know that families are missing out...But, how do we decompress without a screen?" This article gives fantastic, screen-free suggestions for things your family (no matter age!) can do to unwind at the end of the day.
How to Teach Your Kids to Prioritize Their Faith
By Jaime Jo Wright
"We prioritize a lot of things these days. When it comes to our children, parents in the United States are often very invested in looking toward the child's future. We consider their sports experience--prioritizing games, tournaments...We consider their careers and work ethic...Do we prioritize their faith with the same degree of intensity?" This article gives an important reminder of why giving your child a foundation of faith and leading by example are the most important things you can do as a parent.
Children's Chores Improve Brain Function
By Jim Liebelt
"Requiring kids to do chores on a regular basis may be associated with them having better academic performance and problem-solving skills, according to new research from La Trobe University...The study found that regular chores were associated with better executive functions--planning, self-regulation, switching between tasks, and remembering instructions." This article gives interesting research about why chores are beneficial for kids and even suggests specific chores that are most helpful for kids' development.
Connecting When You Have Nothing in Common
By Sherry Surratt
"I can still picture my daughter Brittainy as a bright, talented sixth grader...With her dark hair, she took after her dad. They spent hours watching the Women's USA Soccer team and figuring out a way to build a guitar pedal instead of handing over hard-earned cash for it...She was so smart, so talented, so beautiful. I couldn't have been more proud, but I also felt pangs of frustration. It was hard to find things for her and I do to together that we both enjoyed." This great article suggests meaningful ways you can spend quality time with your child despite having very different interests.
While we support the information given in each article linked above, the views presented in the overall blogs or websites are not necessarily the views held by FBC Amarillo or the FBC Amarillo Children's Ministry.
