April 15, 2022
top trending topics
💛 BIG NEWS! We’ve made this digital marriage course FREE for you & your hunny!
🍼 The birth of a child brings change and makes life harder- Protect your marriage.
😕 Here’s how you can keep your stress level from affecting your child.
⌚ Manage your family time and foster fun & connectedness.
🤗 Children can be resilient, but they need these things if you want them to truly thrive!
tips & tricks for growth
build teamwork in your family
When it comes to family, every member of your tribe brings something unique to the team. Teaching them early and often how important it is to build teamwork will not only benefit your family; it’ll teach your child the value of working with others to accomplish a goal.
Here are a few fun ways you can build teamwork together:
- Share chores. Since you aren’t running a hotel, it takes everybody contributing something to keep everything going. Talk about the difference it makes when everybody works together to get it all done.
- Cook together. Deciding on a menu, buying all the ingredients, prepping ahead of time and preparing the meal allows for lots of teamwork. Then sit down and eat the meal together to celebrate what you accomplished!
- Play games as a family that require teamwork. Whether it’s going to an escape room and figuring it out together, playing Minute to Win it or Jenga together, or creating an obstacle course in your yard, these games teach the concept of working together to accomplish a goal and it’s fun in the process.
- Volunteer. Giving back to others as a family teaches your child many lessons, not the least of which is the value of serving and exposing them to worlds they may not realize exist.
- Plan a trip or a staycation. As you prepare for your next trip or even a staycation, add some fun to the mix! Instead of planning it all yourself, divide up the responsibilities such as: when and where will you stop to eat, what sights should you plan to see along the way, what’s the best route to take and how much gas will it take to get there, among family members.
Your goal is to get your family to work together as a team.
fun ways to strengthen your relationship with your toddler
That little ball of energy you call your toddler is so cute when they’re little. The mess on their face after eating spaghetti is adorable. The way they want to cuddle with you right after you’ve disciplined them just melts your heart. During these early years, you can lay a firm foundation for having a strong relationship with your child for years to come.
Here are just a few fun and easy things you can do to help your child feel safe, happy, and secure with you—the love of their life.
💛 Shower With Love.
💛 Play, Play, Play.
💛 Make Adventures Through Stories.
💛 Create Family Traditions.
💛 Make Music. Dance To The Music.
💛 Talk On Their Level.
Incorporating these six things into the natural flow of your life will pay dividends for years to come—for you and your child.
what we’re lovin’
This week’s picks come from Lauren Hall, wife of 7 years to Daniel, toddler momma, dog momma, and the CEO here at First Things First. Take a peek at her recommendations for this week because they are just THAT GOOD. Check ’em out 👀:
🧠 Buy: Mindware My toddler had his third birthday in April, and I didn’t want to buy him a bunch of toys that would just be collecting dust in the next two months. Enter Mindware: Brainy Toys for Kids of All Ages. They have interactive STEM toys to increase toddlers’ attention span, teach them learning basics, and expand their curiosity. Parenting WIN!.
📚 Read: The Enneagram for Kids This series contains 10 books focused on each enneagram personality type. Want your children to gain a better understanding of themselves and others? This Enneagram children’s series is designed to do just that. Get ready to grow in empathy and awareness with your child as you read together.
📓 Journal: Thoughtful Prompts for Teens This is a First Things First classic, and one of our top-rated resources of all time. While it’s labeled for “teens,” it’s super helpful for parents of all ages to use as well. I’m using these prompts to start my Spring Toward Mental Health journal. (Everyone has one of those, right?)
share the love
Know a friend who would love reading all the relationship goodness we’ve packed in here? Go ahead and share it with them!