Proverbs 23:26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
Your children will grow up fast! It seemed like the “little children” stage of our family years flew by like a speeding jet! I remember like it was the other day we had our first child Kristen. Now, she is an adult in her 2nd year of college, and our second born will be a senior in high school.
Many times, I sit and reminisce with my wife about our children, remembering stuff we did as a family when they were younger. It seemed like the other day we were just starting our new family and now we are getting older, losing hair, have gray hair, wrinkles, and aches and pains.
For you all that still have “crawlers,” “runner,” and “roamer,” here is a list of activities you can do with your children that we did with ours that we cherish!
1. Praying Together – Pray as a family. Put your arms around them, tuck them in bed, give them a kiss, and pray with them. This is simple but important.
2. Photos and Videos– This is one of the best ways to go back a remember and re-live the adventures you shared together. Make sure you have your phone ready to capture all of the candid videos, the spectacular places you visited, and the funny moments that you share together.
3. Riding Bikes Together– Experience the joy of teaching the little ones how to ride their bike and then go out as a family on a bike trail.
4. Capitalize on Their Likes– Some of my children like the outdoors, camping, fishing, shooting, and hiking. Others like shopping, walking in an AC mall, and staying in a nice hotel. Whatever it might be, capitalize on it and share those moments with them.
5. Going to the Library– My wife has instilled in my children the love to read. This all started by taking them at a young age to the library weekly. They would sit and read books together and enjoy the adventure in the pages of a good book.
6. Watching a video together– We have enjoyed watching older videos together like, Far From Home, The Adventures of the Yellow Dog, Swiss Family Robinson, Old Yeller, and Homeward Bound. These videos bring us back to when the children were younger and the times we spent as a family enjoying them with a bowl of popcorn.
7. Taking Family Vacations– This is always a fun time of just being with the family. Being in ministry is amazing but sometimes it is very public! We live our life with so many people around (which is fine). Our family vacation is a time when we can come together and be us. Swimming, sleeping in, crazy activities, and just a lot of relaxing to do with just us!
8. Having Theme Park Days– Theme park days are a good time to spend together. My wife is a theme park expert. She maps it all out and organizes our day to the fullest. We enjoy rides shows, food and just being together.
These are some of the things that my wife and I did with our little children that we still look back and remember and cherish. If I have one regret, it is that I should have done more. Go out there and spend time with your children. Twenty to thirty years from now, I guarantee that you will not regret it.
