Even though I'm new here, I'm going to get a topic going here for ALL (after all, we are still considered a family!)

One thing that has always given me strength during my 3 years of single life (and now sharing with my best friend!) have been my children. I found that keeping "family" time not only helped them, but it helped me get through some pretty tough and rough times.

For the sake of keeping family...family...the kids and I make it a point to have at least one night during the week of just having the focus all on them with us being together. Now we share that with my best friend as well and sometimes his two children. Anywhere from scout meeting to beach walking. Since we don't have the kids every weekend, on the weekends we have them all, we take a trip into the city and educate them on the local history (Charleston area).

It's all about the children at this point...and everything we do, we should be doing for them...afterall, they are what makes us a "family".

I'm just interested in hearing what everyone else does to keep their family focus.

Susie

I seem to be following you around, or else just keep bumping into you on this board Suzque. I like what you write.
Anyway, I value family time very much. I bet most of us can remember special rituals of our own childhoods that stand out. I wonder if my children will remember these things I'm about to mention, or better yet some obscure thing I least expected to make an impression. Ya never know.
Anyway, my favorite intimate moments with my two children are : what I call a "hugga- ma-roll". You need a wide open floor space and what you do is lay down on one end of the room and wrap yourself around your toddler or child so their extremities are all tucked in and you just roll right over them and under them from one side of the room all the way to the other. It's great fun!! And believe it or not it's not painful - you just go a bit softer over the little toddler aged ones. They love it! When you get to the otherside you roll on back again, over and over. We also like to lay on a hammock (the 3 of us) in our backyard under the momosa trees in the early evening until it gets too dark. We also eat by candle light frequently, in the mornings, over breakfast, and afternoons, as well as dinner. It doesn't matter if it's a frozen pizza, or eggs and bacon, or if it's all bright in the room anyway. The essence is heartwarming. My Dad had given us each a speial personal candlestick holder when we were kids, and I never forgot that. I also have always read books to them before bedtime, but it's summer time so often I let my daughter spend the night in my room. Popcorn, video, and a game or two of Micky Mouse Yahtzee. ( a great no-brainer for the end of the day)
Thank you for inspiring me to write this. I work extra hours during the school year and sometimes it seems like I'm just on automatic pilot, but I guess it seems like it all balances out over the days and weeks. But the truth is that we really can't go back and make up for lost time. We just have to prioritize. When old people are asked the question: "What would you do differently if you could do it over?", I bet non of them has ever said, "well, ya know, I just spent way too much time paying attention to my kids".

I like that last sentence, and although I am convinced that the kids remember only the smallest part of their life before they were...12 maybe, I am sure it's the most important part of their education, of their life.
Even though they don't consciently remember the events (except single ones, of course, especially when they keep being told by Mom, or Grandma...) , each second they spend with people who care is going to help them be better adults later.

Wonderful topic...

I, too, spend that much needed quality time with the kids. Some people tend to think that it requires money to do fun, exciting, and educational things. That's not always true. My son (5 yrs) loves to see his mommy get down on the floor, belly down, and color a few pages out of his book with him. Not to mention him beating the pants off me on PSII....or even to read stories to him laying on his bottom bunk...HE LOVES IT....

My 9 yr old is the Barbie Queen...give her a few minutes of coloring, reading or dressing up a few barbies, (helping me and the older one's cook, bake, wash dishes is fun to her) and she's good...

My 14 yr old often reflects back to her younger days....GO FIGURE...lol, but she'll remind me of things that were so memorable to us as a family...She'll often say, "Mommy, you were and still are the coolest, most funniest MOM ever. We still do the things we use to do when I was little"....

I love the fact that they can remember the GOOD TIMES and look forward to the future ventures....My 18 yr old is doing her own thing in college, but to see her this past holiday and to see what God gave me the strength to NEVER GIVE UP ON, was the best gift ever.....

Family is awesome...I LOVE BEING A MOM...I wouldn't change things as they stand right now for anything...IT HAS MADE ME A STRONGER, MORE CONSCIENCE person to mine and the childrens' lives......the sense of belonging to something so wonderful is what keeps my children and I going.....

Thanks for allowing me to share....

We have our family traditions certain days of the week. Sundays are our baking day where we bake cookies or brownies anything yummmy. We also in warmer weather go feed the ducks on sundays. Fridays is our movie night where we camp out on the floor with our sleeping bags with some treats of course, then we watch movies. Saturdays when the girls are with me we have game night where we play a bunch of games, and make some crafts. My husband only takes the kids every wednesday for an hour from 6pm until 7 pm, and every second saturday from 2pm until 2pm on sunday so he only has them one day over night twice a month, so when its my saturday with the kids I make the day all about them, playing games making crafts, and sometimes even going to a movie or bowling depending on the money situation. I believe that children remember the little things that we do with them. You dont need any money to spend quality time with your kids or to put a smile or there face. A game of guess what kind of animal I am always gets the kids laughing, especially when its my turn to act like an animal. These are the moments now while they are young to to make memories that will last forever. Just because there Daddy is gone doesnt mean we are not a family. I feel it is my duty as a mother to build an even stronger bond with my children and make them feel safe and make them realize we are a family despite the fact that there daddy left us. I always want my children to feel good about themselves, and to be happy and healthy and I will do whatever it takes for that to continue.