4 Things to Bring Your Family Together While Stuck At Home

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Thomas Likona, author of Raising Kind Kids, recently wrote an article for Psychology Today on 13 Things to Do With Your Family During the Coronavirus. While all of his ideas were great (and I encourage you to read the entire article) here are the few that really hit home for me:

1.  Count Your Blessings:  Do this with a kid, spouse, or any other adult. Take turns saying anything positive from the day that you’re grateful for. "It can be something you got done, a way you helped someone, a kind thing someone did for you…maybe just a blue sky and sunshine."

2. Meal Time Conversations: Likona suggested conversation starters from Harvard’s The Family Dinner Project, CHAT PACK (from TheQuestionGuys.com), and How to Raise Kind Kids, and he even gave a few to get you started:

• “What are two things you like about being a member of our family?”
• “What are two things other people can do to make you happy?”
• “What are two things you can do to make other people happy?”
• “What is something you wish we did more often as a family?”
• “What was one of the best things about today and one of the hardest things?”
• "What’s something that happened today that you didn’t expect?”
• “What helps you make a decision when you aren’t sure what to do?”
• “Why do some kids do drugs?”
• “What is something you wish everybody knew?”
• “What is an experience you’ve never told the family about?”
• “If there’s one thing you would have done differently in your life if you could, what would it be?”
• “If you wrote a letter to the President or someone else about one thing we could do to make our country better, what would you say?”

3. Watch a family movie and discuss it: "Good movies, like good books, are better when you talk about them." Watch the movie together and bring it up in discussion the next day.  I personally like to use Common Sense Media to help select movies and they almost always give you conversation starters or topics for after the movie.  I recently discovered that they have created lists of movies based upon character traits.  Check the lists out and set up a movie date with your family: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/best-for-character-development-lists

4. Help those in need. The poor have been hit hardest by the pandemic and will suffer the most going forward. Here are a few non-profits in our area who are in desperate need of donations:

• HOPE Union County sent out a request last week for diapers (Newborn, 1,2,3,) baby wipes, formula (Similac powder, but we will use what is given), baby cereal, and  baby bottles.   If you can help, drop off at the 601 side (far left end) of the Union County Human Services location at 2330 Concord Avenue.  Ring the bell at the top of the steps when you arrive and someone will come to the dock door to get the items from you. The hours/days for drop offs are Monday through Friday, 8 am until 5 pm. Contact Gloria Haney for more information- T: 704-296-4312 C: 704-622-6750
• Donate to Food Pantries.  Listed below are food banks in our area that according to their websites are in desperate need of nonperishable foods such as canned veggies, soups, fruits, meats, dry goods such as cereal, grits, oatmeal, spaghetti & sauce, macaroni  & cheese or any pasta, dry beans , peanut butter and jelly.  You can also donate to any of the food banks listed here.
• Operation Reach Out- 1308 Miller Street, Monroe 704-289-4237
• Common Heart- 116 Business Park Dr, Indian Trail, NC 28079 from 10-3 PM (M-F). For larger donations or perishable items, contact CommonHeart@CommonHeart.org to arrange a time to drop off your donations at our main pantry.

If you liked these suggestions, I highly recommend reading Likona's full article listed above.  Keep safe and try to find the silver lining in this pandemic cloud by bringing your family together!