Love Lent this Year

What are your kids giving up doing for Lent?

If there is anything I have learned from parenting books and my own experience both as a child and as a parent, it is that reading, walking, and talking are the magic ingredients that naturally help build a loving, secure relationship with our children. With that in mind, I have a suggestion for Lent that can help bring your family closer, as it did with ours.

Instead of the traditional “giving up for Lent”, why not try to use the sentiment of Lent to motivate everyone, kids and adults, to do things together as a family?

For example, the simple act of walking out your front door as a family every evening creates magical conditions where they will naturally chat about their day or what is bothering them, as you experience the wonder of just holding their hand or observing them explore and giggle under your reassuring protective supervision.

You could try to have an hour free of tech and devices to play a game, do some colouring, do a jigsaw, or, my favourite, encourage the kids to entertain you with a singing and dancing show (We did this with the kids for years, and it was the best crack ever and we still talk about the funniest moments).

Suggesting jobs the kids are responsible for every day, like drying the dishes, emptying the dishwasher, sweeping the floor, hovering, and keeping their room tidy, gives them a happy sense of achievement less for you to do. 😍

It takes more discipline, motivation, and effort to do something together every day than to give something up alone. Still, the benefits for your family, both individually and collectively, are enormous.

Above all else, the most important thing for me will always be spending those important 10 minutes at the end of the day reading them a story and telling them they are loved every night before they go to sleep.

So, have fun for lent reading, walking, talking, and helping around the house, and enjoy a big reward the "bunny hopper brings" you all for Easter.

I would love to know how you get on so please tell me what you decide to do as a family and send photos and videos you are happy to share so we can inspire other families to spend more time together and have fun.

Lots of love,
Benji