Great Ways to Bond with Your Kids

When you start pulling together as a family to reach a common goal, such as losing weight, bonding with your kids is vital. If everything you do together is based on that goal, it can take the fun out the experience and make everything seem like a chore. Taking time to bond with your kids, with activities that interest them, can reap huge rewards in terms of their levels of motivation (and happiness in general). Here are 5 great ways to bond with your children...

Hold a Family Games Night. Turn off the tube and bring out the board games for some competitive fun. Choose games appropriate to your kid’s ages, whether it be Candyland for the preschool set or Risk for your teens, there’s bound to be a game you can all enjoy together. (For absolute silliness, try Operation or Hungry Hungry Hippos!) 

Hit the Bowling Alley. Most venues offer kid friendly lanes with bumpers to stop their balls just rolling in to the gutter every time and many venues offer glow-in-the-dark bowling which is a smash hit with older kids. (The bonus with this activity is that it does burn some calories.)

Read to the Family. Don't save a book for bedtime, try making a new tradition of reading a chapter of a book together as a family after dinner. Tackle Harry Potter or something else that will spark their imagination, and if they are old enough try getting them to read to you too.

Go one-on-one. If you have more than one child, take the time to spend a little time with each of them individually. Set aside some special time just for them, whether it be taking them to the mall, a movie or just a walk around the neighbourhood.

Take a class together. At many community centres across Canada, classes for parents and kids are offered. Go take a cookery class together, go learn how to make jewelry or take up fencing. Build a strong bond by sharing an activity that you both enjoy.