Life Style

  • Show Affection

While young kids crave attention your teenagers might roll their eyes if you step one foot toward them. Each of your children—from the 6-year-old to the 16-year-old—needs affection.

One of the most important things families do together to stay connected is to show affection toward each other.

Dish out kisses and hugs to the little ones. For your teens, you might have to settle for a high-five as you pass them in the hall. Your spouse or partner needs affection, too.

  • Say Thank You

You've probably heard of the tradition of family members telling each other what they're thankful for on Thanksgiving. Don't limit the thank-yous to once a year. Let everyone in your family tell each other what they're thankful for every day.

Take the time to gather as a family early in the morning or before bed to share your thanks. This is a good way to show kids how to be thankful and it makes everyone consciously think of new reasons to be thankful every day.

  • Laugh

The dog just made himself a bed in the piles of laundry you need to fold. Dinner is supposed to be on the table in 10 minutes but the meat's still frozen. Your youngest just reminded you that the school needs 48 cupcakes first thing in the morning. The only thing separating your chaotic life from a sitcom is the laugh track.

Bust that stress when you laugh with your family every day.

Tell a knock-knock joke. Start a tickle fight. Laugh for no reason. As the saying goes, laughter really can be the best medicine. Besides, who doesn't want to hear those tiny shrieks of laughter from their favorite people in the world?

  • Eat Together

Everyone's clamoring to get out the door in the morning. At lunchtime, the kids are usually at school and the adults are at work. Dinner is typically the one meal of the day when you can all come together.

Make a point to focus on each other.

Turn off the TV and put cell phones in a drawer. Get everyone to pull up a chair to the family table and enjoy a meal together. There are many benefits to a family meal and spending time with your loved ones every day of the week is just one of them.


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