6 Things Happy Families Do Together l Activities to Do With Kids l Being a Happy Family

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Some families seem to have it all together from the outside. They always seem jovial despite their high-octane lifestyle even on television. "The Brady Bunch" and "The Partridge Family" depict television families who are a pretty happy and yours should mirror the same, but yours looks more like an episode of "Shameless." If all happy families are alike, what are their traits? What are we missing and what are the secrets to these happy people? Maybe we're allowing work, life or other obligations to overly influence our private lives. No matter what the reasons may be, we can become a happier family by making some needed adjustments. We can learn from watching others, going to parenting classes, reading books and looking for ways to become a stronger unit. Here are 6 things happy families do together.

Create Traditions

Some of us remember family traditions of maybe skiing around Thanksgiving or visiting family and friends on birthdays. Maybe you had a monthly movie night or made cookies around the holidays. These become traditions that are important to children and for parents. "Traditions give children a sense of identity and belonging," said Richard Eyre, coauthor of The Happy Family. "They may seem insignificant to adults, but kids hang on to them." Family traditions help strengthen bonds and help provide an environment of safe rituals that produce a feeling of comfort. They can provide a way for a family to create memories and make them last a lifetime. Traditions also bring happiness, which can anchor a family for many generations to come.

Spend Time Together

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Spending time together seems far fetched today because there are so many things clawing for our attention! Make it a rule on one night to unplug from electronics. This means no phones, social media, texting or television. "Give rules, but understand that kids need fun, too. When kids get bored and listless, they start looking for excitement out of the home and that is when friends become more important. Friendship is important, but subordinate to family," Rabbi and family counselor Shmuley Boteach shared. Go camping, go to a lake, go to the beach, take a painting class or go on an adventure where you can get out and spend time as a family. This will allow people to unwind from a hard day or from a long week and what family couldn't use some of this?

Eat Together

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Family mealtime is becoming a thing of the past. With ballet and soccer practices and so many other things being scheduled, there is no time to eat together, except on the run. "Despite the feeling that there's no time for such luxuries, 59 percent of families report eating dinner together at least 5 times a week—an increase from only 47 percent in 1998," health.com reported. Eating together can expand achievement in children, lower the chance of eating disorders in girls and may lower depression rates in both girls and boys. Aim to have dinner once a week together and see what happens. A conversation at the table can help build a bigger vocabulary and promote healthier eating habits. "The icing on the cake is that kids who eat regular family dinners grow up to be young adults who eat healthier and have lower rates of obesity," parenting.com shared.

Don't Create a Hostile Environment

Being harsh in a family can create an environment that is angry and hostile. This can be hard when parents are trying to discipline their kids, but yelling is not the answer. "Yelling is especially tough on kids who are sensitive and easily hurt by verbal harshness. Kids who are yelled at and criticized have behavior problems and develop discipline problems," Dr. Linda Mintle wrote. Yelling will not create a happy home and it could fuel more arguments. It also invites fear into the environment and it could harm the self-esteem of your children. If anger is a problem in your house, work toward remedying it. Did you hear about counting to 10? Doing this will slow down your breathing and keep you from saying something that you will regret to your kids. Walk away when you feel that you are going to become hostile. Seek someone for counseling and guidance if you need help in this area.

Help a Charity

One way you can teach your kids about giving is having the family pick out a charity foundation that they can get involved in. Making giving a habit teaches gratitude and self-sacrifice. It also gives the family a goal to work towards. Include your children in the decision-making process and come up with ways to contribute. It is good for children to see their parents donating to charitable causes and seeing a servant's heart towards those in need as kids imitate what they observe. Most children will not understand what is going on until they reach the age of 3. However, when they become older they will start understanding more about what charity is about. To get them started, the family can sign up to walk for a cause which is dear to them. This can be organizations working to find a cure for cancer, heart disease, diabetes or fighting illiteracy.

They Empathize With Each Other

The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California reported that it's the responsibility of the parent to teach empathy to children: "Many of these responses happen naturally, but you can make a more conscious effort to promote empathy-boosting experiences for your children.” When we teach our children to respect the lives and feelings of others, it will create a happier home, family and life for them. Empathy doesn't mean people are too soft, it actually helps prosocial behaviors and moral courage. "It's an effective antidote to bullying, aggression, prejudice and racism, " Dr. Michele Borba wrote. Kids will not be kind on their own, it is up to the parents to model this.