5 Intentional Family Routines

By Katie Davis Majors

5 Intentional Family Routines DSC01444 featured image

We’ve been at this for a few weeks now. It always takes a while to get a hang of our new fall family rhythm once school starts. One thing that helps is to set a few intentions for what I want the upcoming semester to look like while we are still at the beginning.

What is most important to me? How do I set up family rhythms that reflect this? 5 things that are primary on my list are:

1. Intentionality:

I want to intentionally connect with each of my children and my hubby. I don’t like when we get in a rut where it feels like we are just roommates passing each other. So one of my goals is to make sure I have some sort of meaningful conversation or interaction with each of my family members each day.

One on one time is harder to come by in a large family, but it does happen. Throughout our days I’ll find myself alone in the kitchen or basement with just one child, in the car driving to and from sports, or sometimes I’ll intentionally grab just one to run an errand with. I want to make these small, mundane moments count by having intentional conversation.

2. Family Togetherness:

Just as I value meaningful time with each of my individual family members, I know that my family thrives when we are in a rhythm of getting ample time all together. With different jobs and children in different school situations, time together can take a back seat if we don’t prioritize it.

For us, family togetherness happens most naturally around the table at dinner. This is where conversation feels easy, where we get caught up on each other’s days, and when we do devotions and pray together. It keeps us unified. Practically speaking, this means I protect dinner time like my life depends on it. We say no to a lot of evening activities so that we can say YES to what we want most.

3. Joy:

I ask myself a lot what I want the result to be from these years with my kids. Having launched some adult children into the world, I know all too well how fleeting this time is. When all of this is over, when they grow up and move out of my home, what do I want them to look back and see or know?

I want them to know that I delighted in them. I want them to know that spending my days with them was my JOY. And I want them to know that above all else the joy they saw in me came from our Savior who delighted in us first. When the laundry isn’t done or the dinner is getting to the table late, when we haven’t done the amount of homeschool I thought we should get through or the car breaks (again), I will choose joy and gratitude.

4. Presence:

It’s so easy to live distracted by the pull of the world, technology, other people’s opinions, and the list goes on. I have been convicted recently of how distracted I can be even by my own thoughts!

But in order to delight in my family members and be intentional with the people and things God puts in front of me, I need to be present, paying attention to what is in front of me, what God is giving me, right here and right now. So I’m deleting apps and silencing my phone. I’m practicing enjoying today instead of worrying about tomorrow. I’m memorizing scripture as a tool to train my mind to stay in the present.

5. Jesus:

None of my rhythms at home work when I’m out of rhythm with my Savior. Trust me, I’ve tried it! I know just as well as anyone that it can be easy to think, I just don’t have the time to connect with God/study the Bible/pray. But I need time and connection with Him more than anything to get through my days and especially to point my people toward His truth.

So no matter how busy the day, no matter how overwhelmed I feel, you can find me early in the morning in the corner of my couch with my pile of books and journals but most importantly my Bible. All of these intentions are good, but they must flow out of my love for Him and be informed by His Spirit to make a lasting impact on my life.

What about you? What are some family routines that are giving you life? What are some intentions you could set for your family to help ensure that you are keeping your priorities in focus?

Never Miss a Story

Sign up to receive monthly updates from Amazima.

Share this post with your friends

Join the conversation

>
Scroll to Top

Year-end Giving Idea!

The stock market has risen 26% in 2024! Have you considered giving appreciated stock to Amazima? Your gift qualifies for a deduction for the full value of the stock AND it bypasses any capital gains tax on the appreciation.