Give back . Being united by a common goal and working towards an act of service is perhaps the best way to spend quality time together . It will teach your child gratitude for material things , but also for the concept of family , while empowering your child to be agents of change in the future . Whether it ’ s donating your time at a shelter or collecting unused toy to donate and deliver together , finding ways to give back as a family will creating lasting memories and benefits .
Decorate the tree or stroll through a decorated neighborhood .
Decorating the Christmas tree is one of the fondest memories I have as a kid . There ’ s something magical about seeing a tree light up . If your family doesn ’ t put up a Christmas tree , you can find an elaborately lit neighborhood street to take a stroll through , which can be just as enchanting .
Go somewhere . For parents who need more help shifting their focus from work to family time , sometimes the best way to shut it off is simply to go somewhere . Even a day trip to go hiking , star gazing , or just to learn a little more about nature will exponentially lessen the temptation to check email or get a little bit more work done . This certainly is the case for my family . It ’ s no surprise that our best quality time happens on our twice-a-year ski trips . My kids didn ’ t always look forward to these ski trips . In fact , they hated skiing at first . But the discomfort of the cold and the challenge of learning how to ski actually helped build camaraderie . Bicker back at the cabin they did . But on the slopes , my kids were extremely encouraging of one another . Over time , they have become better at skiing , which has given them a sense of accomplishments . And the memories of snowball fights , building snowmen , and drinking hot chocolate have also become special bonding moments uniquely shared within our family .
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