Family Time

This week, I finally got the chance to introduce Star to all three of my grandparents.  They all live several hours away so it was an all-day trip.  Hubby had to work so he couldn't come, but thankfully, my parents and younger sister joined us so I didn't have to handle all three munchkins on my own.

First, we met my dad's mom, his sister, and her husband (my grandma, aunt, and uncle) at Ikea for lunch (and shopping, of course!)  I could spend days in that place so I made sure to pick up a catalog for drooling over browsing at home. 

Clockwise around the table: Little Man, my mom, my dad, Princess, my aunt, my grandma feeding Star a bottle.

Little Man enjoyed an elderflower juicebox with his lunch.

Little Man preferred to hang out in the kids' section rather than join "the girls" for shopping.

After hugs all around, we packed into the van again and headed over to my mom's parents' condo for the afternoon.

Little Man and Princess coloring at the dining room table.

Princess was so proud of her picture.

Showing her artwork off to "Meemah".

Nostalgia-when I was a kid staying with my grandparents, I loved to listen to my grandparents' grandfather clock chime and watch my grandpa wind it every night before bed.  Unfortunately, it stopped working a few years ago.

My grandma's killer spoon collection from my grandparents' travels.  Someday, I hope to have a collection this big!

I was thrilled to receive some swaddling blankets for Star from my aunt when we met her at Ikea.  She hand crochets the edges of a full yard of flannel to make these blankets.  The blankets are lightweight and big enough for swaddling even older babies.  She always makes 2 identical blankets for each niece or nephew which means that when one is in the wash, there's a spare.  My older two children still sleep with and treasure theirs.  Definitely a keepsake for years to come!

Star loves being swaddled!

My aunt let me pick out my own flannel fabric for these blankets and I fell in love with this argyle owl print.

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How to Encourage Family Unity

 I grew up as one of five siblings.  We fought, but we always stuck together.  We even formed a "gang" that did anonymous good deeds for people.  We were individuals, but still a unified family.  I know that homeschooling contributed quite a bit to that sense of family as we spent most of our time with each other, but we each did have our own set of friends as well.

I see a lot of families where the kids (especially as they get a little older) all do their own thing.  There is sibling rivalry and a sense of competition between them.  I don't want this for my family or my children.

So how am I going to encourage a sense of unity between my children even though they won't be homeschooled?

First of all, I do not encourage a competitive spirit among my children.  There are friendly races occasionally, but we make sure we do not focus on winning, but rather on having fun as a family.

Secondly, I encourage each child to help the other one out and strive to make them proud of their individual roles in our family.  Princess, as the big sister, is honored that she is able to help care for her younger brother.  Little Man, although still very young, is encouraged to turn to his sister when he needs help while being shown at the same time that he can also take care of her (this goes along with teaching him to be a gentleman who respects women).

Thirdly, housekeeping and other tasks are to be done together when possible.  Because the kids are still so young, it's usually a necessity that we all work together, but I do plan to continue this as they grow older and more capable.  For instance, when I empty the dishwasher, Princess and Little Man work together to carry the dishes over to the counter on the other side of the kitchen so I can put the dishes away in the cupboard.  There is no competition to see who can do the most, in fact, Princess takes great pride in the fact that she can help her little brother pick out the lightest dishes to carry.

 How do you encourage a sense of unity in your family?


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