Before your child reaches adulthood, you will have experienced roughly 936 weekends together. If you take out the early years when they mostly slept, ate, and cried—let’s say 2 to 4 years—and factor in around 30 weekends lost to illness and about 200 during their teenage years when they seem to vanish, you’re left with fewer than 400 weekends to truly connect with your children.
Now, I’m not here to make you feel guilty. My goal is to get you to think about how your family spends those precious weekends. Are you resting, recharging, and spending quality time together? Or is the answer a weary “no”? It’s time for that to change.
I had a lightbulb moment when a local sports coach scheduled a two-hour practice for 6-year-olds on an early Sunday morning. This not only disregarded families who attend church but also disrupted those rare moments of togetherness that working parents cherish, like enjoying pancakes on a lazy morning. For parents on second or third shifts, weekends can be the only time to catch up on sleep!
For our family, extracurricular activities on Saturdays and Sundays became a firm “no.” Sure, we occasionally have to be flexible, but we’ve prioritized family time on weekends, opting for activities during the week instead. Our weekdays are already chaotic, filled with rushing to activities, grabbing meals on the go, and squeezing in homework. Why extend that stress into the weekend?
If your family thrives with weekend sports or activities, that’s great! But for us, the idea of spending countless hours and money on travel teams and events just doesn’t feel right. We do enjoy a handful of fun outings each year, but our real joy comes from those lazy weekends at home. You know, the ones where the kids hang out in the neighborhood, ride bikes, and even get bored? Those are the weekends that matter because we’re simply together.
From my experience, which feels like it’s flying by—especially with a child already in college—I would give anything to have my kids together again, even if it meant just lounging around and feeling bored.
If your weekends are overly packed and stressing everyone out, don’t hesitate to simplify. Gradually step back from unnecessary commitments and rethink what a fun weekend really means. Kids can find joy in being bored; that was some of my best childhood fun!
And don’t forget the value of saying “no”—to both adults and your kids. Reclaim your family weekends; it’s a decision you’ll appreciate, and so will they most of the time.
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Summary
This article discusses the importance of reclaiming weekends as family time, emphasizing that relaxing and bonding moments are more valuable than packed schedules filled with activities. Parents are encouraged to prioritize downtime, say no to unnecessary commitments, and embrace the simplicity of spending time together.