We believe family adventures build families, so you won’t be surprised to hear that one of our family values is Adventure. We have pursued adventure by choice and with various degrees of cost. It does not matter whether we are in Africa, Europe or New Zealand, we seek to make the most of each experience we have by adopting a phrase, like a mantra.
“It’s all part of the Adventure,” is our way of dealing with life’s unexpected challenges. I tell the story more fully in chapter 4 of Building a Strong Family, but here’s a snippet.
“We developed a mindset which determined how we approached situations. Facing our life as an adventure was a choice we made. Kathy and I used this mindset to help the kids to process circumstances they were unsure of, and thus the phrase “It’s all part of the Adventure” was born.
We talked with our kids about needing to adapt when in different places, with different people or when uncertain. By adopting the “explore and see what happens” attitude, it took away the pressure of needing to know the answers. Sure, the unknown comes with risk, but when the risk is managed kids can feel it’s okay to proceed and see what happens as they go.”
I’m sure by now you are experiencing a wide range of frustrations and emotions. If you have younger children you may be bombarded by “why” questions. What do you do when your kids want answers that you can’t provide? You turn life into an adventure.
What are some ways you can bring a sense of adventure into being locked in at home? Here’s a goodie that has worked for us.
Treasure Hunt
Design a neighbourhood treasure hunt that includes clues and prizes.
Plan a short walk around the neighbourhood that requires your family team to solve the clues to find the next location. Then, make them complete a challenge before they get the next clue. While they’re completing the challenge, go live on FB and share the fun with your family and friends.
Sure, this will require you to be inventive and industrious, but the benefits will be worth it.
Reinvent your space
I just noticed online that one of my friends has re-purposed their garage with outdoor furniture to make a “man-cave”. How could you reinvent your garage, or your shed, or a spare bedroom? Could you create your own movie theatre? Could you create an indoor bowling alley? Or what if you brought the swimming pool inside? (Actually, don’t do that!)
What’s the key?
Take regular adventures that build memories that last forever.
I was about to brainstorm a list of other adventure ideas… but then I realised you’ve probably got stories of what is working at your place. Share your ideas below in the comments – maybe your idea will save someone from going crazy this week!
Go on, make a comment and tell us how your adventures build families.
- This is the second message in a series prepared to support you to build a strong family while you’re stuck at home. Check here for other messages.
- You can grab a free preview of my book here.
- If you want to access my book, Building a Strong Family on Kindle, click here.
