How to Create a Family Conversational Hub

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Did you know that according to new research, American families get only 37 minutes of quality time together each day? This statistic is staggering. How can we create intentional routines to get back more quality time with our families?
Look back to how you are spending your family time right now. Where does your family usually congregate? Do you all come together at the dinner table, the T.V., or somewhere else? It doesn’t just have to be one place. All families have at least one place or activity they do that brings everyone together.
How to Create a Family Conversational Hub 1
How to Create a Family Conversational Hub 2
Most of the time, we don’t put much thought into where our family comes together. But what if we started being deliberate and choose activities and places that would make our families thrive. What would that look like?
Creating a family conversational hub will encourage a deeper connection with our kids and give more opportunities for meaningful discussions. Learn how to create your own family conversational hub that fits your families DNA.

How to Create a Family Conversational Hub

ONE

What do You Want Your Family to Look Like?

Dream with your spouse (and kids if you would like) about what you want your family time to look like. Look back at the times where you felt most connected with your family. What did those times look like? What were you doing? In my family, my husband and I decided that we want to make conversations and memory-making a priority in our family and not screen time.

TWO

How Can I Turn my Vision for my Family into a Reality?

Look back to what you want your family to look like. What are some doable steps to get there? Each family is different and our priorities are different. From my family’s decision, we needed to figure out how to make screen time not our go-to and find activities that would foster conversations and lasting memories for our family.

We brainstormed places and activities where we have had great conversations without a screen distracting us. We came up with three ideas: sitting in a hot tub talking, sitting around a campfire, and taking hikes in nature.

THREE

Making Your New Family Reality Happen

Once you have tangible ideas on how to make your vision your reality, how do you get started? If you need to buy something and/or take something away to make some positive change in your family, DO it!

Our ultimate goal was to get a hot tub, but it wasn’t in the budget. So we started out buying an inexpensive gas firepit from Costco. We called it our poor-man’s hot tub. We chose a gas fire pit because we knew that if we had to go through the process of starting a fire, collecting and splitting logs, it just wasn’t going to happen. The convenience factor of just flipping a switch to get an instant fire is lovely, plus we don’t smell of smoke afterward- win-win!

Since our fire pit is portable, we have had a fire in our front lawn and invite neighbors and of course, we have used it in our backyard. Our fire pit is a conversation hub and gives us the rustic camping feel without the effort and planning. Plus, I’m not ready to go all-out camping with my little ones yet.

To our great surprise, we landed a crazy deal and bought a hot tub. We weren’t planning on buying a hot tub anytime soon (our plan was to buy one in 5-7 years). But, I found one while I was on the NextDoor App for $200 and it was in great condition. So, we bought it and LOVE it. We have the temperature down low enough that my family goes in the evenings or I take the kids in with me in the morning. My husband and I will go in when the kids go to bed. We talk about our day and everything without distractions. Quality time is my number one love language, and by having the hot tub, we are able to spend more quality time as a family and with my husband.

We also started going on more walks and hikes as a family. Exploring nature is so much fun and we want our kids to experience the outdoors. We live near many paved trails that are ideal for strollers and biking. Our goal this summer is to take our family biking.

What or where is your new conversation hub going to be? It’s time to turn your vision for your family into a reality. Don’t expect a quick-fix or that your family is going to be perfect. We aren’t perfect, and no one is. Keep working on creating your new families normal, and soon enough it will become your families way of life.
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