I’m sure you all have a bucket list of your own personal things to do, people to meet and places to go. Well, how about making it a family affair? Make a bucket list and look forward to crossing things off each month as a family! It will be fun. Keep the family fun going each month, so mark your calendars and use this ENTIRE YEAR to cross of the items as you accomplish them!
This does so much for your family. It creates fun family time and togetherness. It shows accountability and commitment. When you include your children in making the bucket list, it shows how much you value their opinion! What’s also great is you get to tailor it to your family’s desires. You can make your own, but here’s one to get you started:
JANUARY: GIVE!!! Pack up some old clothes, toys, shoes and time if you have it at a homeless shelter.
FEBRUARY: LOVE! Put names of the family members in a hat and draw the name of the family member. The name you draw, will be the person you have to make or buy a nice treat!
MARCH: TOGETHERNESS! Plan a day to spend together as a family doing something fun! Movies, skating, anything that can keep the fun going and the laughter non-stop!
APRIL: GET FIT! This month commit to trying/introducing at least 2 new veggies AND heading OUTSIDE to go for a family walk, bike ride or a run!
MAY: LEARN! This is the month to learn something new. Whether it’s as simple as learning to count to ten in Spanish or finally learning how to swim. Commit to something and get ready to celebrate each of your victories!
JUNE: RENEW! School is out/almost out. Time to renew your local public library card and take advantage of at least one activity that the library provides. Most likely, it’s FREE! Another suggestion is EVERYONE commit to reading at least one book.
JULY: RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS! Show your children the importance of being nice and expecting nothing in return. Paying for a stranger’s coffee…offering to help a senior with groceries are just a few ideas!
AUGUST: PICNIC! Plan a family picnic. Find a shady spot under a tree or a park pavilion. Even if it’s your own backyard, it will be fun! (One last hurrah before school!)
SEPTEMBER: CELEBRATE! Plan a BACK TO SCHOOL Kick-off!! Get them (and yourself) motivated for the new school year and make small goals of success!
OCTOBER: QUALITY TIME! Commit to spending one on one time with your child. No one else but you two. Great time to hear about their life right now. If you have more than one child, this may be challenging. But if you do it small increments, it’s doable.
NOVEMBER: GIVE THANKS! Teach your child the importance of gratitude. Have them recall a nice gesture that someone did for them, then write a “thank you” and send it. BONUS: Add a nice treat to the note for good measure!
DECEMBER: DECOMPRESS! The holidays can bring about lots of stress – shopping, crowds, etc. Take a step back from that and plan a moment to reflect on the true reason for the season and do something relaxing, TOGETHER as a family!
BMWK – I hope this contributes to your family’s well-being. If you do some or all of these, OR have a list of your own, please share!