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Every Saturday night we have family movie night. We all hunker down on the sofa with our bowls of popcorn and pop in a movie that the kids haven't seen before.
And during the week we play catch, tag or hopscotch out in they yard.
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SQUIRRELDANCE
10/23/06 8:14 P
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| Another thing we do is every other week or so we go to the library together. We both love the library! :o)
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| We get together every Friday, play games, listen to music and just have a ball.
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MRSKITTY1975
10/23/06 6:25 A
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We all go shopping together on Thursday evening and then we spend most of the day on Saturday and Sunday together just doing what we want.
On Saturday we went Christmas shopping and on Sunday we went to a health and benifits fair that Toyota had at the YMCA for the employees so we were together most of the day on both days.
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| WE love to go on walks to the park! we just got a bike trailer thing so i can pull the kids behind me on my bike so now we have beent aking family bike rides. WE also love watching movies as a family. Here in AZ we have drive in movie theaters were we watch out side. WE love that. Tonight we are going with all the cousins and my parents.
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FREAKINDAD
10/21/06 4:17 P
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This weekend it's a 'paint the outside of the house' family affair! *chuckle* Well, at least my son and wife have the back of the house scraped and sanded, and all I'll be required to do will be to get some paint on. My son loves to 'help' with projects like this, so I'll make sure he's got a brush and I'll leave the low parts for him to touch up. *grin*
Should be fun!
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 All of my kids are away right now. The 2 boys are attending college in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. and my daughter is away on a school trip to Costa Rica for 1 week. So, today I will spend the afternoon out in the boat on our beautiful Bahamian waters with my husband, brother in law and niece. Hopefully we will come home with some fresh wahoo of mahi mahi. If not, it will still be a great day!
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| Today it's 2 outdoor soccer games in 40 degree weather and a day of serious house cleaning and laundry. The kids don't always mind how their time is spent with me as long as they're with me usually. Tomorrow it will be the children's museum (it's expected to get colder outside).
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I get together with my daughters and grandchildren at hols and weekends, sometimes to the park, eating out, cinema, beach (a wellington boots and raincoats job this time of year). The children love walking in Epping Forest, where they get to see the squirrels and, very occasionally, badgers and foxes.
Weekdays, the evenings are taken up with homework, baths and cooking dinner, but we try to have relaxed time with the children before they go to bed (doesn't always work out)
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GRAMMAALI
10/21/06 7:10 A
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IAMMEGANMK
10/21/06 6:52 A
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| mostly ifg it is an outdoor thing it is at a park or outside riding bikes and playing basketball.
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ANNIKAHELENA
10/21/06 3:37 A
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Hello Ginger,
With your older child (and the younger one), have you tried creating a sceario where you, from the beginning, ask for their input and help?
For instance, if there is dinner planned. Ask them what the dinner should be based on what they find available at the house, and at the same time set ground rules that there have to be 2 types of vegetables (healthy choice) with the meal. They are also the ones leading the cooking and puting out on the table.
In essence: Challenge them by asking them questions and holding them responsible for producing results.
(...and tell them theat you love them..of course)
Best of luck!
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MADTRAVELS
10/21/06 2:54 A
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| Im a hairdresser, so I usually spend quality time with my mom when I do her hair. After that, we usually go out for lunch and to the movies, or sometimes we'll go to a museum or take a walk. It helps that she is also weight conscious and enjoys being outdoors.
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ROBITAILLE
10/21/06 1:15 A
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| I have two boys and they are in grades 3-4. My oldest one thinks he knows it all and loves to talk back. He trys to tell me what to do and especially when my husband isn't around. Is there any suggestions to help me. I live out in the middle of no where. Thank you, Ginger
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SSEJICA81
10/20/06 9:05 P
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I love playing with my four-year-old son, Jaden. We enjoy Play-Doh especially. He's helping me with my daily goal of doing something active outdoors, as well. He likes to ride in his wagon, and I get a great workout pulling him around and around our yard! 
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ALBERTAPROUD
10/20/06 7:00 P
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| We found that our family time became difficult because we were forcing each other to do things we didn't like just for the sake of doing it as a family. Now we take turns being the "SPECIAL PERSON" for the weekend, and that person gets to pick the activity - no whining from other members of the family! It's become really interesting to see what's fun to each other... I would never have picked the skidoo mud bog; my husband would not have joined willingly into high tea at a historical house, and my 6 year old surprised us both by wanting to park at the end of the runway and watch the planes take off and land for the afternoon.
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I have 2 teen daughters - almost 16 and 18. I am a single Mom- I adopted them as a single woman -- so we are really a 3 ladies household.
Our downtime together is generally getting a movie, hanging in pj's and lounging under blankets to a movie and some popcorn.
We also go out to eat and then window shop or walk in the mall. Going down the shore is another family favorite and hanging for the day on the beach.
Its really more about being together than what exactly we do.
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FUZZEBEAR, love this:
"when we r not holler'n , squller'n or ball'n"
sounds like my household.
i recently picked up a game you can play at dinner time which is meant to spark conversation ... it worked ... even my 14-yo joined us in trying to name all of the US Presidents last night (not in order!). we played another game a few weeks ago where each member of the family names the best thing that happened during the week, and the worst thing. it's fun!
we also have "family movie night" where ALL of us (including mommy, daddy and the 3-yo) write down what movie we want to watch, put them in a hat and the kids take turns picking it. that's been going well.
:)
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DUTCHIEGIRL
10/20/06 10:51 A
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| My hubby and I like to go for dog walks with the kids(aged 6 & 3) - the kids on their bikes and us walking with the dog; we'll play games together inside or outside (depending on the weather); a game of soccer or hitting golf balls in the back yard; reading books or playing a board game...the list could go on and on. We try to spend a lot of time together and to make it quality family time. :)
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ANGEL030507
10/20/06 9:37 A
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| I make sure that I spend a main portion of my day everyday with my kids and boyfriend. We do things like make games out of cleaning the house, go bowling do fun activites everyday. We live each day as if it were the last.
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MRSKITTY1975
10/20/06 7:57 A
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With my husband working 8 to 10 hours a day and then coming home to work on the farm we don't get to have much family time during the week but the weekends are a different story.
On Saturday's we all have breakfast together and he plays with our nine month old daughter before he goes out to help his dad with whatever he decides to do.
On Sunday's we go to Sunday School then we usually go to Walmart and look around a little before heading home unless we go to my parents house and let our daughter spend some time with them.
This weekend we have a little family get together at his aunts house on Saturday evening and on Sunday we're going to a health and benefits fair that Toyota Motor Manufacturing WV (TMMWV) is having at the tri-county YMCA for the workers and their families so we'll be spending a lot of quality time together.
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MICKIEMOUSER
10/20/06 2:34 A
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when we r not holler'n , squller'n or ball'n
we go walk the mall(3 kids,2 teen age girls,
whom officially were dubbed Mall Rats this
summer. apparently its an honor \o/ go figure
its a huge mall, up\down stairs over 200
stores theirs always somthing to lQQk at.
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| I'm single with no kids, so I don't have the daily time pressures with my own family, but how I spend time with my family (brother, nieces, nephew), cousins and their kids is mostly at ice rinks either at hockey games or figure skating. Afterwards, we all go out for a meal together. I love it.
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i cherish the little time we get to spend as a family. oddly, even though we work from home, i do not see my husband or daughter during the day. he's downstairs in the office, i work upstairs and the babysitter takes our daughter to the middle flat.
after work we all go outside and play for a little while before we start getting ready for dinner and bed.
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HEATHERNICKOLE
10/19/06 1:31 P
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| Like the rest of you we're a very busy family. I work full time, my fiance works full time and goes to school full time, so our time together with the kids is very precious. I fit my workouts into my day so I don't take away from my time with them in the evenings. The kids know that for two hours before bed they have our undivided attention, usually playing with their trains, reading books, or helping make dinner. Our big family time is on Sunday, we've turned grocery shopping into a family trip, we get up early, run our erands, take the kids to the book store to pick out a new book or the pet store to visit all of the animals, then on to grocery shopping and then we go out for lunch. After nap if we still have erands we do them, if not we try to go somewhere fun, like the park or for a drive to visit the caribou and musk ox at the university wildlife research lab (We live in Alaska). Making the most of the time we have together is what matters. Thankfully the kids go to a home daycare that is near my office, I can drop in when I need a baby fix and their teacher calls me whenever we reach a milestone (today my youngest is offically potty trained).
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SQUIRRELDANCE
10/19/06 11:53 A
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| We talk, take walks, go to the playground, and cook together. My daughter is three, and fascinated by the transformation process of cooking - especially how something she doesn't like (like chick peas) can become one of her favorite foods (like burgers)...
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RENEESHAF
10/19/06 11:14 A
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Family time is what I live for!
I work 40-50 hours during the week, and I love the 1-2 hours of family time in the evenings with my husband and two small children. It usually consists of cooking dinner with fun music on! The kids dance and play with our two dogs, and try to help! :)
When the kids go to bed, we usually watch a movie and have a glass of wine.
The weekends are the main family time though, we get up very early so we don't waste any time!
Whether it is going to the mall, going for a drive, or finding something completely new to see, we do it together and enjoy ourselves! Sunday nights definitely feel like a downer! :)
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NEICY2001US
10/19/06 8:26 A
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| I dont have a lot of time to spend with my family. I work and go to school full time but we have made a committment to do something special on the weekends. It works out pretty good and they always choose something fun.
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KHOENICKE
10/18/06 5:03 P
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| We like walking, too. That way, my husband and I can catch up on our lives and we all get some fresh air. Even if it's raining (we live in Seattle), sometimes we head to the mall and just do laps while chatting. It may seem pointless, but when we're done, we feel like we took time away from watching TV and sitting around to do something active and healthy.
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| Brewersmom- I have the same issue, but I too am a computer slave. Also, we only have a dog, but still. I got my husband to agree to two hours a night of online game time and then he has to go on a walk with me and our dog. Also, we have netflix, so I rent movies we both enjoy and have popcorn and wine. It does't always work, but like 80% of the time it does.
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HUNTERVINS
10/18/06 1:39 P
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| We spend time in the afternoons playing outside or going for a ride around the neighborhood in the wagon. Weekends I normally work (I am a realtor) so my husband takes the girls to the park or just out for ride. We don't watch TV in the mornings and my husband doesn't have to leave for work until 9, so we get to spend about three hours in mornings just as a family. That is some of my most favorite time we spend together.
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FREAKINDAD
10/18/06 12:58 P
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Unfortunately, I'm one of those who has to work 6 days / week, so I get to spend time with the family only on Sundays. My son and I play around the house (or take care of an outside chore or two) in the morning until my wife gets back from her weekly shopping trip with her sister (they pick up the groceries and spend a little kid-free time on Sunday morning). That's when the fun begins. Lately we've been hiking the mountains near us (I live in the Hudson River Valley of New York) and taking in the sights. The way the leaves change, and the views you can get from the heights on Black Rock Mountain (not a very difficult hike - there's actually a gravel road if you don't like trails - we generally take the trails unless we're rushing to meet someone for a lakeside picnic). My wife always has some sort of fun outdoor idea, whether it's meeting up with some of my son's friends and hitting the playground or setting up a late picnic lunch by the pond in town, that's the day we all connect.
Here's to Sundays. *raising my glass of water*
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VDELAROSA67
10/18/06 12:30 P
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