This is a collaborative post
Childhood years are the most formative years. Therefore, they must be the most memorable too. Indeed memories are interpretations of former experiences, which are often affected by factors such as emotions, personal perspectives, and the passage of time. To make your kid’s childhood memories positive, they must be connected with joy, bliss, and happiness. A happy childhood is the ultimate foundation any parent can set for the life of their children. It boosts their creativity and increases their confidence while enhancing existing talent. Assisting your children to grow into healthy individuals strong enough to manage what life throws at them takes a lot of guts but mostly a lot of happy memories. Here are some ways to create fun and lasting memories with your children.
Framing milestone moments together
A great way to plant visual reminders of great times spent with your kids while planting lasting memories is by capturing those moments in film or on camera. You can capture anything from a mini getaway with your family to your first barbecue together, keeping these photos in albums for future viewing purposes. The process of documenting can be made even more fun by involving your kids. Please provide the needed supplies and guide them in framing these photos. You could also create your own custom canvas prints and hang them within the home, on your desk, or in the family room to relive the moments.
Capturing moments might seem like a small effort, but it always goes a long way to keep you and your children connected. In the blink of an eye, they’ll be packing off for college, and the only thing that can remind you of the fun you once had will be those wonderful moments captured on camera.
Go on adventures
Devote 30 minutes to a kid’s show, and you’ll find a single theme: the quest for adventure. From Dora the Explorer to Paw Patrol, children have their adventure desires met by children’s channels, leaving them with only digital memories of things they would love to do. Instead of offering your little one the tablet, why don’t you plan an exciting vacation or adventure trip? It might take some intentionality and planning before time. Still, it is possible to escape from your daily schedule, dedicating a day or two to your family to reconnect with them. Children grow fast, and you can miss their formative years constantly undertaking work duties and responsibilities.
A family vacation is a way to awaken your child’s curiosity. Evoke their wonder by visiting sites such as beaches, zoos, museums, aquariums, and many more. The best part about taking a vacation with kids is that you don’t have to force them to remember; they never forget a vacation in a new place.
Do something new
It’s never a bad time to explore learning something new, no matter how old you are. Learning never ends; thus, you can take this opportunity to create core memories with your children. Inquire your children about some things they’ve never done and then plan to do these things with them. What this does is it elevates their excitement about the activity and spending time with you, and it also increases their curiosity and love for learning. Some exciting new things you can try together include joining a club, starting a sport, or taking a class. Choose family-friendly classes that align with the interests and passion of your child but are also something you can benefit from.
Another angle to take this is by allowing your child to teach you something you don’t know. It could be how to maneuver your way around Canva or upload a story on Instagram. Giving your child the chance to teach you exposes you to how their mind works while giving you a little insight into what they like and dislike.
Friendly competition
What better way to enjoy competition with your child than during the game night? Game nights are another splendid way to create lasting memories with your children. Once you start and begin to enjoy it, the game night can become a recurring tradition that brings the entire home together for a couple of hours simply to have pure fun. Involve everyone in your game nights by allowing your children to pick their preferred games, create teams amongst yourselves, and offer prizes to the winning team, such as immunity from chores or laundry for a week. The winner might even have the power to choose dinner the next day; find great ways to make your game nights fun and unique to your home.
Game nights, though majorly fun, are a great learning curve on confidence and how to find your way around competitive parts of life. Giving your children these memories is a great way to deliver knowledge, as it’s tied to a real-life event and not just theory from a book.
Let the memories happen naturally
You can only plan so far. When trying to create memories, people sometimes get rigid with their ‘time together’ schedules and end up missing out on the most important aspect of memory creation; authenticity. Experts have said that the best memories are always created unexpectedly. Once in a while, relax, enjoy lazy days at home, or go for a walk together. Create intangible memories, which include your presence and attention. Listen to your children open up about things they might not have considered telling you, and create a safe space where they can share themselves without judgment. Letting nature run its course sometimes is great because nothing feels forced. It allows your children to exhibit their natural responses and voice out their actual needs, which you can attend to.
Family and childhood memories are the best gifts one can give their children. If you’re looking to forge a strong bond with your little ones before they become grown-ups, offer them the priceless gifts of memories through vacations, fun activities, and spontaneous moments of attention. Your children’s confidence, creativity, and love will thank you for it.
