Many of you Catholic women out there may be familiar with Faith & Family magazine, a wonderful, glossy publication that celebrates family life and our Catholic faith. If you’re not, think of it as a Catholic Woman’s Day.
At any rate, I’m currently working on two articles for upcoming issues and I’d like to marble in some input from other Catholic moms into the meat of the articles. I’ve included my needs below. Drop me a line at kmwicker -at- gmail.com if you think you might have something to contribute and feel free to forward this request to other Catholic parents you know.
1. Planning a family fun night: This article will explore why carving out time to spend with just your nuclear family is so important. Although there’s no doubt that the “family who prays together stays together,” there’s something positive to be said about the family that plays together as well. I’m looking for a quote or two from parents about why family time is sacred and how they make it a priority (e.g., scheduling it ahead a time, etc.). Also, do you host a weekly or monthly family fun night/day? Maybe you go on monthly nature walks or perhaps you regularly munch on popcorn during a family move night. Let me know if you have any creative ideas of how you spend time together as a family as well as any tips you might have on how to make the most of family time.
2. Making sure your kids get focused attention: While children certainly don’t require instant gratification or never-ending ministration to be happy and well-adjusted, all kids do need to feel loved and special, and one of the best ways to do this is to dole out regular servings of one-on-one time with individual children. That’s why Madeline and I have had a few solo dates with one another – one was just to get her haircut, but there was no nursing baby vying for my attention as snippets of Madeline’s blond hair fell to the floor. Of course, I know this is going to become tougher as our family grows larger, but I’m already coming up with creative ways to make sure each one of my children gets some alone time with me (and their dad). Since I’m just a newbie parent with only two little ones underfoot, I want to include tips from veteran moms who have bigger families on how you make sure each one of your children feels special, at least some of the time. In my article, I’ll share ideas gleaned from “expert” Catholic moms who manage households with several kids. Do you schedule alone time with your children? How do you make them feel extra special on their birthdays? Do any of you do anything like have a “boss for a day” where a certain child gets to choose what’s for dinner and an activity to do together as a family? Any other creative suggestions for making kids feel special amidst the chaos of raising a big family? Likewise, how do you make sure your spouse gets some focused attention, too? Do you schedule weekly or monthly date nights? Do you occasionally sip wine and just talk after the kiddies are in bed? Let me know if you have anything to share!