When you have a young and busy family, how do you make intentional memories that your family can store up and reflect upon for years to come?
This summer has been … crazy. This is the first summer we haven’t quite stuck with our summer schedule that we set up.
During the school year we decided as a family that we wanted to be more intentional about making memories. With a busy family including six kids, a husband working on a Master’s Degree, and a full-time job, we realized we needed to get REALLY intentional. Our life got busy, so we started brainstorming different ways to make the most of the time we have together as a family.
Being Intentional
As a mom, life is filled with loads of laundry, making meals, and all the other responsibilities of a happy homemaker. When my kids look back on their childhood, I don’t want them only to remember doing summer workbooks, learning new chores, or having mom constantly busy in the kitchen making meals they don’t like.
On top of all that, there are friends and family members to keep in touch with, but not enough hours in the day to do it all. I think every mom can attest to the fact that as soon as the phone touches your ear, every kid instantly needs your full attention. Relationships with friends and family have wane over the years because there are things that need to get done during nap time / quiet time. Throw in family living all around the country in different time zones, and not every call can be made after bedtime.
We concluded that in order to create these family memories not only for us, but also our extended family and friends, we needed to really think outside the box. We decided as a family to start a Youtube channel as a way to keep in touch and keep a fun log of memories for our family for years to come. I know, I know, it’s pretty one sided since there is not really any interaction. At least this way though, grandparents and others that live far away can still get a taste of what we are up to in our life.
Words with Kids
Our Youtube channel is called Words with Kids. In Words with Kids we wanted to not only make memories, but also have a fun way to share our love of learning. During the school year we have a “word of the day” that we challenge each other to use while they are at school. We decided that by sharing these fun words, it would help give us ideas of what to film, and hopefully spark our creativity and take us on new adventures.
In Words with Kids, we will introduce the word of the day, and explain it in terms easy enough for any kid to use. Some words are hard to sound out, some words are hard to say fast, but all the words are fun. We have incorporated outings, adventures, and fun activities to show that learning can be fun.
Our Hope
Our hope is that we can encourage other families to be intentional in making memories for themselves, and to share with their extended family. In the 2018 Youth Broadcast, President Russell M. Nelson encouraged the youth to stand out and be a light. We want to be a light of encouragement, and the true joy that is evident in the rising generation. With all the bad that is available in the world, there is also so much goodness and hope.
I hope you’ll join us in this fun journey. So far it has helped me as a mom to be a more intentional about making a record of our family. I love to be in the moment, but I also want to remember those moments forever. My favorite part about all of this is sitting as a family and watching the videos we have made. The kids’ faces light up and they wistfully say they want to relive that day again and again. We are truly making memories that will last, and having a great time doing it!
What do you do to make memories with your family?
