Creating an Evening Family Routine that promotes Togetherness

Imagine this: You’re nearing that part of the day after dinner. You’ve set aside the time and energy for a life-giving nighttime routine where your kids feel connected to you. You’re enjoying the time, you’re not rushing and counting the minutes until bedtime because it’s fulfilling for you and your kids. 

Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “that’s a pipedream, and I’m so far from that”. Just know, it IS possible for your family to enjoy togetherness at night, even if you’re in the trenches of it feeling like an uphill battle. Your family was designed for togetherness, and you can implement that into your family today. 

Here are some tips to help you create an evening routine for your family:

• Change the mindset around “witching hour”. Write down the problems that tend to arise during the most stressful time in the day. Then, think about small ways that you can solve those problems. For example: If your kids come home and throw their backpacks and shoes on the floor, work with them so they independently put things where they belong. If certain days have more time constraints, that might be a good day for a crockpot or pre-cooked meal. This takes time, but change happens with consistency. 

• Implement family dinners at least a few nights a week. Dinners are a great way to connect with our spouses and kids. Read our blog post, 5 Tips to Help Make Family Meals a Normal Thing, to help! 

• Set aside 10-15 minutes to clean up your space. Giving everyone a job to clean up encourages the idea of a family also being a team. Not to mention, it sets up the next morning for success. 

• Have an open mind about what your child needs around bedtime to wind down. Some need more snuggles than others. Some need more connection through just talking to you more. Some need to listen to you talk with a story. Every child winds down differently. Taking 10 minutes per kid to recognize their need makes a huge difference in their emotional and mental health.  

Be patient with yourself and family! Implementing new rhythms in your day to day routine takes time, patience, and trial and error. There is not a one size fits all nightly routine that works perfectly for everyone. We aren’t encouraging perfection, just persistence. 

5 Reasons Why Therapy is Important for the Whole Family

Each year, over 59 million Americans seek help from a mental professional for mental illness, a traumatic event, emotional suffering, relationship problems, etc. But, does that mean that therapy is only reserved as an option for when you and your family are at the end of your rope, in the depths of depression, or in a crisis? The benefits of seeking help go beyond that. Not only is talking to a professional a good practice for you to establish, it provides a new level of self-awareness that will propel you and your family towards living a more intentional and healthy life. 

Here are 5 reasons why therapy is good for a healthy family: 

1. It keeps your family structure healthy! 

   Counseling gives you and your family a better understanding of good boundaries, dynamics, and a solid foundation as a unit. As a parent, it’s our job to create an environment where our children feel safe, heard, and encouraged to go after their calling in life.

2. Therapy can strengthen your family to better handle stressors or hard circumstances.

   A solid foundation has a harder time being shaken when it’s built on trust, understanding, good communication, and encouragement. A counselor can walk you through building that so when the heartaches of life do happen (and they always do), then you and your family have a safe place. 

3. You have someone to keep you accountable for your family goals and values. 

   A therapist can help you and your family be aware of what you value most, your goals, and keep you accountable! If your family values experiences through being outdoors or traveling, a professional can help you align your behavior with what you want to accomplish. 

4. Therapy gives your family members room for self-awareness which leads to consistent development. 

   Self-awareness plays a KEY role when it comes to reaching goals and living purposefully. When you are aware of yourself and why you do or say things, you become a better communicator, you can spot your strengths and weaknesses, and you are empowered to make changes. 

5. It enhances communication and empathy for each other.

   Not only can a counselor help you gain a better understanding of yourself, but they can also give you an outside perspective that helps you understand your family members better. A therapist can help your family express emotions in a way that is productive and creates a unified understanding.  

We are passionate about empowering families to build a strong foundation of togetherness, empathy, and communication. If you are looking for resources on finding counseling for your family visit https://thejoshuafoundation.us/counseling or email us at team@thejoshuafoundation.us. 

How to Have a Backyard Camping Staycation with Your Family

With summer fast approaching, it may seem overwhelming to get away as a family for focused time together. Backyard camping strengthens the imagination and creates a wonderful staycation with your family. It’s also used as a test run to see how camping will go for you and your kids if you are thinking of taking a camping trip for the first time. Turning your backyard into a campsite is a fun and easy way to experience the outdoors. Plus, you still have access to whatever you need or want in your home!

a few tips to make backyard camping fun for the whole family:

• Prep and gather food and supplies ahead of time. Make sure that what you are using is easily portable so set up and clean up is easy. 

• Bring some card games, board games, and stories to read. 

• Have plenty of bug repellent as well as a comfortable sleeping area. 

• When planning for backyard camping, consider your child’s/children’s age. What activities would keep them engaged for the evening? Is it better to do a late evening in the backyard and they sleep inside, or are they old enough to enjoy a full night outside? 

Supplies you need: 

• Nice weather and either a tent, a teepee, or a comfortable spot to settle in when it’s time for bed. You could get creative and imaginative here with sheets, poles, whatever you have!

• Air mattresses or yoga/floor mats, sleeping bags/blankets, and pillows

• Bug repellent 

• A fire pit or a small terra cotta pot with sterno to make s'mores and camping treats. Click here for a DIY s’mores maker. 

• Some string lights or any decorations you make for fun

• Flashlights for after sunset and stories

Food Suggestions:

• Grill or pre-make some burgers, chicken, or hotdogs 

• S’mores

• Trail Mix

• Pre-made breakfast sandwiches or doughnuts for the morning

• Choose an easy meal to make ahead of time here!

We hope these tips help you create a mini backyard staycation with your family. Whether you are stuck at home or preparing for your first camping trip, memories can be made anywhere. Share this with families you know, give it a try, and tell us about your backyard family adventure!

5 Tips to Help Make Family Meals a Normal Thing

With all of the distractions in our busy lives, eating as a family has become a challenge. Even though establishing the routine of eating together can be difficult, the social, mental, emotional, and nutritional benefits are worth it! Here are 5 tips to help you to start making this a standard practice in your home.

1. Involve them! 

Including your child in choosing the meal, preparation, and clean-up gives them a  sense of accomplishment and control. Go through some recipes on Pinterest and have them pick a recipe that looks good to them. Not only are they more likely to try new things and finish their meal, but they also develop important life skills. 

2. Prepare some conversation starters

One way to promote healthy communication with your child or teen is by simply asking about their day during meals. It’s important to be curious about how their day went because when they openly communicate about small things, they will feel safe to communicate about the big things. Questions like: “What was something good that happened? What about not so good? What would have made it better?” gives them a safe non-judgemental space to talk to you about the good and the bad. 

Print out some fun conversation starters with hypotheticals or would you rather questions. Visit https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/50-family-dinner-conversation-starters/ for a great list of ideas! 

Change the scenery! 

Is the weather nice? Set up a fancy picnic with blankets, pillows, a spread of your family’s favorite foods, and some string lights. During the cold months try an indoor picnic in a different room and set up some games to play.

Keep it distraction-free

Staying present in the moment plays a key factor in making meals a time of connection. Have all family members leave phones, work, social media, devices, and other distractions in a separate room. 

Work your way up 

It’s important that committing to family meals not only happens regularly but works best around your family’s schedule. Every night may not be feasible for you and that’s ok! Extracurricular activities, work, and other events can make weeknights hectic for family dinners. It’s important to start with evaluating your commitments and figuring out one night a week to start making this a non-negotiable in a way that is sustainable. Then, as you evaluate commitments, more nights may open up. Maybe most nights it makes the most sense for your family to dedicate 15 minutes of focused togetherness. 

Family meals are an amazing opportunity for parents to establish a connection with their young children and teens. Time together around the dinner table promotes connection, life-skills, the ability to handle the stress of daily life, and healthy eating habits. We hope these tips give you the tools you need to implement regular meals together in your family.

A Family Guide: A Sunrise Hike to Whitaker Point - Pettigrew, Arkansas

WE RECOMMEND THIS TRIP FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN OVER THE AGE OF 8

We are excited to invite you to go on a hiking adventure to Whitaker Point with us! 

Whitaker Point Trail is an Arkansas treasure. The trail is a 2.9 mile round hike that is in the Ozark National Forest. We leave very early in the morning on the day of our trip, but the beautiful rocky viewpoint at sunrise will be worth it!

Directions

We will be leaving from Fayetteville, AR. Click here (insert hyperlink: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/arkansas/whitaker-point-trail-hawksbill-crag) and use this website as your resource. The direction button on the top of the site plugs right into Google Maps!

Trail Details: 

The hike is just under 3 miles round trip. We will hike 1.5 miles to Whitaker Point to enjoy the view for a while, then hike 1.5 miles back.  Due to hiking when it’s still dark, this is considered a medium difficulty hike. There are no permits needed for Whitaker Point. 

Safety Considerations:

We want to make sure this trip is not only fun, but safe for you. Here are a few tips and things to remember for our hike: 

• When driving in the dark, be sure extra lighting is working on your vehicle.

• Have an extra flashlight for the early morning when it is still dark out.

• Layer up properly for the cold weather.

• Have tape or support for twisted ankles. 

• Bring a First Aid kit for small abrasions 

• Take a screenshot of the emergency contacts in the graphic below

Activity Tips:

Our hope is that this trip is enjoyable and brings your family together. Here are some things we suggest to help your family experience the day to the fullest! 

• Pack your bag and layout your clothes the night before

• Go to bed early and get a good night's sleep. 

• Take a 4WD vehicle. Steep dirt roads could be challenging if it’s rained recently. 

• Eat a snack on the way.  

• Prepare mentally for challenges and tough situations. 

• Maintain a safe distance from edges (especially with small children!)

• Let a friend or family member know your plans and share your location and ETA so they know to call the authorities in the event they do not hear from you upon arrival. Check in with them when you make it to your location. 

We exist to help people engage with one another on a deeper level in a distracted world and we are so excited to help you do that through trips like this. We hope to see you on our Sunrise Hike adventure!