List-Making Activities to Celebrate Family and Connections

February 24th, 2012 by Dionna | 6 Comments
Posted in Carnival and Special Series, Consensual Living, Just for Fun/Miscellaneous, My Family

Welcome to February edition of the Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival, hosted by Authentic Parenting and Mudpie Mama. This month, participants have looked into the topic of “Fostering Healthy Attachment”. Please scroll down to the end of this post to find a list of links to the entries of the other participants. Enjoy!

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One of the activities we did from our Advent calendar was to make a list of things we love about each family member. We made lists for both our family (me, Tom, Kieran, and Ailia) as well as my mom and two sisters. The lists were a hit – they allowed us reflect on what we love about each other, and everyone felt so special hearing what people love about us. We sat around one evening and read them out loud. (Yes, I cried.)

Here are a few of my favorites:

• One thing Kieran loves about papa: I love to hug you so tight when we wrestle.
• One thing papa loves about mama: I have really enjoyed movie nights with you and all the extra kissing and hugging and {censored}.
• One thing mama loves about Kieran: I love your sense of humor – you can always make me laugh.
• One thing Kieran loves about Ailia: I love watching you move, it reminds me of feeling you move in mama’s tummy.

I loved this activity so much, I want to do variations of it throughout the year. I’ve come up with several ideas, some of which could be used with both immediate family and with those who do not live in your home.

These lists are useful not only for reflecting on what we love about our families, but they can also spark ideas for family activities that will strengthen bonds, even across the miles. Doing these lists as a family can also help children become more cognizant of the fact that everyone has needs, and it can promote the idea that families help and are kind to each other.

Below are lists I have come up with – what ideas can you add?

• 5 Things I Love About _____ (have each family member complete a list for every other family member)
• 3 Activities I Like to Do With _____ (have each family member complete a list for every other family member)
• My 3 Favorite Family Activities
• 5 Ways I Like to Have People Show They Care About Me
• 3 Things That Would Make Life Easier for Our Family (you could brainstorm this one together and commit to trying one idea a week)
• 4 Things I Have Done to Be Kind to Others This Week (talk about this one in advance so that children have it on their minds)
• 3 Things I’d Like to Do With _____ (this would be a good time to brainstorm how to connect with long-distance relatives)

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Visit Authentic Parenting and Mudpiemama to find out how you can participate in the next Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• “Keep Them Close and Let Them Go: Fostering Healthy Attachment As They Grow” — Helen at Zen Mummy wonders how to maintain a healthy attachment as our children become more independent.
• “Honesty (With Your Children) is the Best Policy” — Mandy at Living Peacefully With Children shares how honesty with her children is helping to build an authentic relationship which will last through the teen years and beyond.
• “Fostering Healthy Attachment?” — Momma Jorje discusses how she is building a foundation of attachment with her children and how she hopes it serves them in their lives as they grow into adults.
• Beyond Bookend Parenting — Marisa at Deliberate Parenting describes their efforts to maintain their toddler’s attachment to her working parent through play and routines throughout the day.
• Have You “Huggled” Today? — Kerry at City Kids Homeschooling shares how “huggles” work like magic in her home.
• Your Childhood=Your Child’s Childhood? — Amy at A Secure Base examines the research about how our attachment experience can shape our attachment with our children.
• List-Making Activities to Celebrate Family Connections — Dionna at Code Name: Mama shares some family list-making activities that will help you reflect on what you love about your family and can spark ideas for future family fun.

• How To Keep in Touch With Distant Grandparents — Lauren at Hobo Mama offers several tips to foster connection with relatives who live far away.
• Beyond Bonding: The Power of Positioning in Babywearing — Steffany, a babywearing educator, guest posting at Natural Parents Network, explains how optimal positioning in quality carriers can help babies’ physical growth, brain development, and overall attachment.
• Playing Follow the Leader — Zoie at TouchstoneZ has learned that the more she meets her children where they are rather than where she would like them to be, the greater the elasticity of their bonds are.
• The Evolution of Attachment: Parenting Without a Roadmap — Sheila at A Living Family reflects on her family’s recent generation of mothers and shares how she is working to make an evolutionary leap towards forming healthy attachment.
• href="http://www.authenticparenting.info
  " target="_blank">Facilitating Sibling Connection — Laura at Authentic Parenting gives a set of pointers on how to facilitate sibling bonding.
• href="http://www.hybridrastamama.com/2012/02/farm-in-my-bed.html

  " target="_blank">The Farm in my Bed — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama discusses fostering children’s healthy attachment to “lovies” and comfort objects..

• My Early Morning Shadow Valerie at Momma in Progress shares a few ways she maintains a strong connection with her almost six-year-old daughter.

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