Whether you’re married or have children, spending time with your family can be incredibly important. You want to build meaningful connections with those closest to you, but that can be challenging when you’re working full-time.

You can do all the things that most people do with their family, like going to dinner together, watching movies, and having cookouts, but there’s more to family life than just that.

Here are a few ideas for quality family time.

Start with the basics.

If you want your family to know that you care about them, start by making sure they feel loved and secure. Be proactive in taking care of them, from making sure you provide for their needs to making sure you spend time with them. This is a great way to get in touch with your values and priorities, and it will make a difference in how your kids view your relationship with them.

Have fun together.

You may not always want to be doing something special, but being active together can be important. Spend quality time together at the park or playing catch, or take a vacation somewhere new. The point is that you should try to do things together as a family at least once a week.

Plan fun activities together.

One thing that many people don’t realize is that it’s not just what you do that counts. It’s how you do it. Make sure that you plan activities that everyone will enjoy, and make sure that they are something that will be remembered. For example, instead of having a pizza party, why not rent a movie and go camping? Or, if you’re having trouble deciding what to do, why not go out for ice cream together?

Do what you love.

If your kids like soccer, play on a team with them. If your kids like music, start learning how to play an instrument. Whatever your kids are interested in, you can do that together. This doesn’t have to be something that you’ve done before; it can just be something you choose to do now.

Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Just because you’re a parent doesn’t mean that you should be taking yourself so seriously. It’s okay to enjoy being around your family and to laugh at yourself. Take a lesson from your kids and treat the things you do with them as fun, and you’ll find that they will return the favor.

So there you have it! You now know how to spend quality time with your family. Start with the basics by being proactive in taking care of your loved ones, plan fun activities for them to do, and don’t take yourself too seriously. You and your family will be glad you did