You just welcomed your first child into your lives and you are focused on your baby and your new little family. Or maybe you’ve just welcomed your third child and expanded your family to a lovely group of five.  No matter the size of your family taking time to focus on your family unit is important.

How can you focus on your family? Developing routines that make sense for you and your children is a place to start. It could be having dinner together every night to reconnect. It might be making Saturday morning breakfast an event. Maybe it’s establishing cherished bedtimes with everyone involved. Some families love a game night or movie night to gather together. Whatever family-focused traditions you start, keep them going as long as possible.

As children get involved in activities and interests outside the family those focused times can become harder and harder to hold to. It might mean making small adjustments to established family times or adding something new, but having some time together – even if older children balk at it – is good for everyone.

You and your children will look back at those times with fond memories and warm feelings. The family is the heart of the lives of children. Making the effort to have a focus on that time will reap many rewards.