Family Togetherness: Finding Inspiration from Yesterday

Thinking back to my childhood, my parents made parenting seem so easy.

Family togetherness was a priority for them, but I’m pretty sure that they never read a blog post, book or article for inspiration and ideas (ahem–like somebody I know). We just spent time together as a family. Nothing elaborate, just time.

We ate dinner as a family every single night up until I left for college. We spent summers picnicking at state parks, swimming at the community pool, and playing HORSE at the basketball hoop in the driveway. We spent winter afternoons sledding down the hills behind my parents’ house on a toboggan built for 4. Our vacations were to the Maryland shore.

To be fair, there were less distractions competing for family time back in the 70’s & 80’s. There was one screen at my house and it was a TV with four basic channels, our phone was attached to the wall, and our schedules weren’t packed with too many extra-curricular activities.

Fast forward to present day, every member of my family has some type of screened device, our TV viewing options are limitless and phones are constantly in our possession. So many things are vying for my family’s attention. We see our friends’ elaborate pictures on Facebook or strangers’ whimsical ideas on Pinterest and we feel the need to offer more for our kids.

My husband and I have certainly indulged our girls with amazing family trips and activities. My girls have been to NYC twice in their young years while my husband and I were adults before we made our first trip.

But I’ve learned in my nearly nine years as a parent that family time doesn’t need to be expensive, overly creative, or contrived. Our girls are actually pushing us towards simpler family time like what I grew up with. They just want to spend time with my husband and me. Period. They love our backyard campfires and s’mores.

They’re eager to make a family dinner (and who am I to deny them that request?) for those infrequent nights where all four of us actually sit down to the table together.

They love family bike rides or walks to the nearby park or Italian ice stand.

They plead for my husband and me to stop just watching from the shore and to actually get in the water and go tubing or kayaking with them.

They think tent camping with their dad IN THE BACKYARD rocks.

For my girls, a day at a state park is considered the best day ever!

I know these days won’t last forever. A day will come when our girls would rather spend time with their friends than their parents. So my husband and I will soak up these simple moments of family togetherness because they will be fleeting.  My hope is that when our girls are grown and raising their own children, they’ll look back and think, “My parents made it look so easy.”

There’s no better vehicle to bring the family together than the Chevy Traverse. With seating for up to 8^1., everyone in the family can join in on the fun. A 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score for safety^2. helps keep everyone safe on your journey to find new roads, no matter where, or how far, it takes you. And best-in-class maximum cargo space makes packing for family road trips, or hauling around children’s sporting equipment, a breeze. With all these great features and more, there’s no question the Chevy Traverse is the ultimate family vehicle. Learn more at http://www.chevrolet.com/traverse-mid-size-suv.html.

1. Standard on LS and 1LT.  Available on 2LT. LTZ seats 7.
2. Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s New Car Assessment Program (www.SaferCar.gov).