Cultivating joy as a family – . Health Blog

The pandemic has hit families hard. There was so much loss, so much hardship, so much stress and so much change. What makes it even more difficult is that there is so much uncertainty about when and how it will end; Our lives and that of our children will be disrupted for the foreseeable future.

There is so much that we cannot control in all of this that it is easy to lose sight of what we can control. One thing that we can absolutely do is cultivate little moments of joy every day. It doesn't have to be a lot or something special or complicated. That's the thing about joy: it can be very simple.

Children have a great capacity for joy. It doesn't take much to make her happy. It's even easier to make them happy when you do something with them – which can have the added benefit of making parents happy too, as children's joy can be contagious.

Bring joy

Here are some ideas of simple, fun things to do as a family that can be joyful. You can adjust them to suit your child's age and temperament.

To play board games. If you feel like it, change the rules (which can make them more accessible to younger children). You can even create your own board game with some cardboard and markers and whatever you want to use for board game pieces.
To bake! There's nothing like making candy to keep everyone happy. A box of brownie mix or pre-made cookie dough is fine. Nobody will judge you.
Painting and drawing. If you can go outside and do it.
Build things – out of blocks, cardboard, anything. Make a city. Leave it and add it. Build a fort, indoors or outdoors, and have a picnic or an overnight stay in it.
Go for a walk as a family; play I Spy while you walk. Family bike tours can also be fun. Or just kick a ball around. Anything you can do to be active anywhere without a blanket is great.
Playing dress up. Dig up clothes from your closet. Be fancy (your local dry cleaner could use a shop) or be silly.
Do a piece (maybe while you're dressed). You could hang a sheet of paper as a curtain. Or do a puppet show. If you don't have dolls, you can easily make these using socks and markers. Have someone film it on their phone so you can all watch it together.
To read aloud. There are so many books out there that are exciting and fun to listen to. You can start with books written for children and move on to the classics. My children have books by E.B. enjoyed it very much. White and Roald Dahl, and the Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis. You can take turns reading if you have older children.
Make music, create space and have fun.

You can get everyone in the family to come up with ideas. Have people write things down on index cards or slips of paper and put them in a bag or bowl, then choose them randomly or together. Try to invest time regularly at least a few times a week just to be happy. It could be a family ritual – maybe even one that takes root and becomes an integral part of your family life.

These moments can add up. It doesn't change the world today, but anything we can do to relax and be happy and give us comfortable memories is good – and good for us.

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