Why You Should Have Family Game Nights

The biggest barrier we may have from spending quality time with our families is technology.  With the presence of television, tablets, computers and game consoles, we stray further away from each other. As a solution, it is suggested that families hold a family game night at least once a week. This entails board games, card games, or possibly anything that doesn’t involve technology.

According to a survey conducted by Hasbro Inc., an American multinational toy and board game company, 91% of families that play games together reported that it gave their family mood a positive boost. Studies have also shown that families are spending more time together, but not quality time. You may argue that your family watches TV or goes to the movies together, but don’t do much to strengthen your relationship with each other. These activities are mostly passive where the whole family’s staring at the screen instead of looking at each other. What’s needed are engaging activities that can make both parents and kids active.

Game nights can also be a learning opportunity for your kids. Aside from keeping their intellectual and creative juices running, it can also teach them important skills. These activities foster teamwork, sportsmanship, strategizing, problem solving and even social skills. With neither of you knowing, they are being greatly affected positively by playing games.

You may have a hard time implementing a family game night at first. With all the available hi-tech distractions, your kids might not want to part from their gadgets to play some old card and board games. But there are ways to make kids of different ages, interested. If you have young kids, team them up with the older ones so they know that they can compete on the same level even though they’re of different age. Not only will they be interested, but this will also give them a little confidence boost.

For teenagers, let them pick what game to play and allow them to invite other friends to play so they will be more engaged. Don’t play the same game over and over again, too. Add a personal twist to various games.

Family game nights can positively impact your family as a whole and each member individually. It’s also less expensive than going to the movies or amusement parks. If you succeed in keeping it interesting and entertaining, your game night habit will slowly turn into a ritual. As they say, “The family that plays together, stays together.”

Reference

Tracy. “The Importance of Family Game Night.”
http://www.havingfunsaving.com/2013/11/the-importance-of-family-game-night.html, 24 November 2013. Web. 6 June 2014.

A Victim of Mom Shaming? How to Handle It With Class by Lei Dimarucut-Sison, Source: https://www.smartparenting.com.ph/parenting/real-parenting/how-to-handle-mom-shaming-with-class-a00061-20190524

5 Types of Mom-Shaming—and How to Shut Them Down by Charlotte Hilton Andersen, Source: https://www.rd.com/advice/parenting/mom-shaming