Better Together
In this article, first published in October 2019, Carla explores the meaning of ‘togetherness’ and why it’s important for your family (and our new favourite word!).
There’s nothing better in life than our family.
Can you believe it’s almost the end of the year?
As we round the corner of October, we have Halloween knocking on the door – a favourite with the kids. Then we start to hear the bells of the Christmas season, before New Years hits and it’s time to start it all again.
Most of the year we spend our lives to-ing and fro-ing between work, school, going out and the home, we often forget to take time to smell the roses, spend time with loved ones and take care of ourselves. In this fast-paced world, it’s easy to misplace where priorities lie when the biggest and loudest distractions – devices, news, work, entertainment… you name it – keep yelling in our faces and vying for attention.
But the unique thing about the year end is that it makes us re-evaluate what’s most important as we wind down and start spending more time with our family and friends.
What would you say is the driving force of your life? Maybe it’s how you contribute to the world, maybe you think it’s your career...
The one thing I can guarantee is that most of you will say it’s those you love – your families. After all, it’s the relationships in our lives that mean the most at the end of the day.
And it’s usually at the start of the holiday period we being to be reminded of this. Maybe only to be distracted again from the more significant things once the new year gets underway? Yeah, I’m chronic with that too! My to-do list always grows bigger than the amount of times I visit my family. Not cool.
So how can we foster a greater sense of family togetherness year-round, not just when the holidays are reminding us to do so?
Creating greater family togetherness is actually a really popular concept these days, particularly now more than ever when things like technology and notorious Aussie long work days distract us back into our own minds most of the time. Thus, loads of people are talking about how we can create stronger relationships in the family unit.
A traditional concept and now seemingly outdated, the humble family dinner is seeing a resurgence in popularity after it’s found spending time together over a meal can have significant health, wellbeing and developmental benefits.
Source: Pablo Merchán Montes on Unsplash.
One way a greater sense of togetherness can be achieved is by gathering every evening, like our parents did before us, and sitting down for the traditional family meal. This way ritual conversations can be had, such as “How was everyone’s day? What did we all do?”, and relationships can grow.
It’s seems like such a simple idea, but possibly something we all need to do more. So much so that an American organisation, The Family Dinner Project, started a whole not-for-profit about it to help promote greater connections, after research showed it’s so vital for the mind, body and even spiritual health of family members – and particularly a no brainer for child development.
Having this constant, everyday ritual set aside boosts communication, openness, support and generally assists with overall family happiness.
Also, making sure we carry on or create meaningful traditions for days outside of Christmastime is a great way to foster togetherness. Saturday night might be family movie night or board game night – for me growing up, Saturday night was movie/TV, ‘eat anything you want’ night! You might designate one Sunday a month to go out and do something fun as a family – whatever it is, make a plan to spend time together without life’s distractions. Do something together that will promote love, hugs, laughter and learning. Experiences as a family will bring you all closer together.
Lastly, family togetherness is all about actively promoting and stopping to appreciate the things you value over the things that distract.
If you can, leave work at work when you come to sit down for your family dinner. It’s a necessary part of life, but so is family time. Have device-free times each night so you and your kids can enjoy each other and wind down.
And what’s the one thing we all have in our homes that are the most prominent? Our TVs! They are an ever-present source of entertainment and it’s something we can all enjoy with or without the family present – but it, of course, should never replace real family life. And yet, there is it, large as life… potentially larger than any other picture hanging on the wall.
Togetherness is about created a sense of home and family identity.
Source: Supplied.
Home & Family published an article a couple weeks ago discussing how family photos hung on the wall or on a shelf instil in children a greater sense of belonging, stronger family bonds, a greater sense of togetherness and concept of home, and a better developed family identity.
What if you hung a picture on your wall, bigger or more of a focal point than your TV, that showed the real value of your household – your family? I mean it’s no wonder TVs, such as the Samsung Frame, are becoming works of art or family portraits when the TV is off. Home design is now moving towards emphasising the things that matter most in the places we live.
At Grain & Weave, this ethos of family togetherness, as well as an appreciation of handmade art showcasing your family, are driving factors of why we do what we do. And we’re passionate about it! We live for the people in your life and their rightful position in pride of place, reminding everyone that the important things are not just reserved for the holidays, but for always.
So I want to challenge everyone to find the little things you can do today to promote family togetherness, and start a movement! After all, togetherness offers amazing health and wellbeing benefits for you and your family by something as simple as sharing a meal with each other – and you can’t argue with science.
#dolifetogether, people.
What are some things you already do as a family as a way of connecting together?
Home & Family are also now completely social! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Contributions:
Got the best ever parenting hack, a story idea or a new (or old!) product for your home you absolutely can’t live without? We’d love to hear about it and share your secret with the rest of the family community.
Simply shoot a quick message to our new Content Creator, Carla, at carla@grainandweave.com.au for the chance to have your ideas featured on our page.
