Often, we are so busy driving here and there, cooking dinner, and making sure everyone’s needs are met, we don’t stop to listen - really listen.
During the school year, weekends are typically reserved for catching up on laundry, running errands, hosting family get-togethers, and much more. But what about the importance of helping our kids destress on the weekends?
I still remember the busiest seasons of our child-rearing years, times when we felt like life was spinning out of control and we were powerless to stop it. Like many families, we allowed far too many obligations and activities to rob us of much-needed downtime. And on more than one occasion, we experienced the consequences of our busyness.
These included:
Grumpy, tired kids who struggled to concentrate
Feelings of disconnectedness as a family
Serious issues that got swept under the rug
Distance from God, church, and relaxing fellowship with other believers
If your family is experiencing too much busyness right now, consider the importance of helping your kids destress on the weekends.
Here are several things that can help:
Let Them Be Bored
Children are so used to constant forms of entertainment that they don’t know what it feels like to be bored. However, when given ample time to be creative, use their imaginations, and find things to do on their own, kids naturally rest and destress.
I still remember my elementary years when I would play school by setting up a pretend classroom with my stuffed animals. I loved being the teacher, writing math problems on my little chalkboard, and calling on each of my “stuffies” to give the right answer.
I also remember searching for roly-polies under the porch, building blanket forts in the living room, and simply lying on my bed looking at the ceiling. Boredom was one of the biggest factors in boosting my creativity and allowing me to destress on the weekends.
Let your kids be bored and encourage them to think outside the box. Suggest imaginative things for them to do such as:
Going on a treasure hunt in the backyard
Drawing life-size pictures of themselves on sheets of craft paper
Playing hop-scotch in the driveway
Playing “office” with junk mail, paper clips, and a stapler
The options for fun and relaxation are endless when you allow your kids time to be bored. Keep in mind, this doesn’t have to be every weekend, but even a couple of times per month will help them unwind in the most creative way possible.
Enjoy Media-Free Sundays
I still remember our youngest son who would sit at the family desk (on a booster seat) and use a computer mouse to play preschool games on our behemoth of a computer in the early 2000s. Even at his young age, he was hooked on any form of media we allowed.
So it is with today’s kids; they love their phones, tablets, and movies. But unbeknownst to them, the constant bombardment of noise, visuals, and input actually adds to their stress. Keeping their brains focused on constant activity - without a break - only heightens their stress levels.
One of the best ways to help your kids destress is to remove media for a day. In fact, turning off the TV, unplugging the phones and tablets, and making Sundays completely media-free is a wonderful practice for the whole family.
You can expect it to be difficult at first - for both parents and kids - but once you establish this as a regular part of your week, you’ll be surprised at how much calmer and more focused your kids are for the school week ahead. Swap your family’s media time with board games, books, walks, and good old conversation. You might be surprised at how your children start looking forward to media-free Sundays!
Encourage Outdoor Exploration
I can almost bet that one of the most common phrases kids heard in the 60s, 70s, and 80s was “Go outside and play!” This was a no-brainer for parents back then, and I believe we ought to implement it in our parenting today.
Encouraging outdoor play and exploration is vital to our children’s well-being. Think about how many hours they spend in the classroom, seated at their desks, or how many evenings are spent sitting on the couch playing video games and watching movies.
Kids need fresh air, sunshine, exercise, and time to explore! Being outdoors is a natural way to destress and enjoy God’s creation. Not only is time outside good for them physically, but it’s good for them mentally and emotionally as well. Whether it’s playing on the swing set, drawing with sidewalk chalk, or shooting baskets, children will thrive when they spend adequate time outdoors.
A few more outdoor ideas are:
Raking leaves into big piles for jumping
Collecting leaves, pinecones, and other treasures from nature
Building snowmen and snow forts
Making snow angels or going sledding
This weekend, encourage your kids to “Go outside and play!” and watch as their stress diminishes and their happiness is restored.
Catch Up on Listening
How often do you feel like your family members are like ships passing in the night? You’re close in proximity but disconnected emotionally and spiritually.
I cannot emphasize enough the value of carving out time to catch up on listening to your children. They have so much to share! And often, we are so busy driving here and there, cooking dinner, and making sure everyone’s needs are met, we don’t stop to listen - really listen.
One suggestion is to set a timer for 7 p.m. every Sunday night to meet in the family room and engage in lighthearted conversation. Consider finding a book that has fun conversation starters or search the internet for ones you can print from home. Better yet, take a few minutes every day to put your phone down and listen intently to the stories and experiences they have to share.
Our kids need to be heard in order to thrive, and by implementing this distressing exercise, you’ll build their confidence, enforce their feelings of security, and enhance their overall wellbeing.
Pray Together as a Family
If your family isn’t in the habit of praying together, now is the perfect time to start! Though it might be a little awkward at first, it won’t take long to establish a weekly prayer time that can make all the difference in your family’s peace.
To make it easier, I suggest posting a prayer request sheet on the fridge that the whole family can add to during the week. Then, find time on the weekends to go over the prayer requests together by taking turns praying aloud. This might become such a popular habit, you’ll eventually need more than one page to post on the fridge!
Speak Life Over Your Kids
A little encouragement goes a long way, and our kids can use all the encouragement they can get. The weekends are the perfect time to be intentional in sharing words of affirmation with your children. As they recoup from a long week at school and prepare for the week ahead, be your child’s biggest cheerleader.
Here are a few powerful phrases that speak life over your kids:
“I am so blessed to be your parent. You bring sunshine to my life!”
“I know things aren’t always easy, but you can always come to me for anything.”
“You can do this! Nothing is impossible with Jesus, and He cares about what you’re going through.”
“God loves you with an everlasting love, and He is always, always with you.”
Ultimately, weekends are a good time to catch up on things left undone during the week. But don’t neglect to incorporate plenty of downtime to help your kids destress and find more peace and joy in the process.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Anastasiia Boriagina
