Incredible Opportunity for Parents of Teens and Quick Tips for Families in Friday’s Fast Five 27th Edition

Building a stronger, happier family is at the top of most parents’ list. However, we are busy! These weekly Fast Five ideas and tips are a quick way to brainstorm, check-in, and create the family relationships you really want. This week’s Fast Five includes an incredible opportunity for parents of teens, a fun game to play while you’re waiting in lines, a simple service idea, and more. Happy Friday!

* These ideas are NOT meant to be a checklist or guilt trip of things we “should do.” Rather, they are intended to inspire you to find what works for YOUR family to learn, laugh, and love together. Remember to stick to the Simple Side of Parenting.

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What is Friday’s Fast Five?

Each Friday, we share five quick and simple ideas for families under the following categories:

• Something fun
• A Little Lesson
• A Service Idea
• Something Random
• A Quick Tip

As I try to simplify my own parenting journey and help others do the same, these help us think about what I feel is a simple version of good parenting…learn, laugh, love.

Subscribers also receive exclusive tips and downloads to simplify parenting life.

With that, here is the twenty-seventh edition of Friday’s Fast Five. (You can find other editions HERE.)

1. Something Fun: 20 Questions for Waiting Times

This simple game is ideal for waiting in lines, traveling, or anytime you need a little distraction.

One player thinks of something, anything from an elephant or paper clip to a family member or place. The other players ask yes or no questions to try to figure out what the person is thinking of.

This simple game is ideal for any time and grows with the family. As the kids get older, the ideas get more difficult. Just wait until someone makes you figure out “oxygen!”

Although it’s called 20 Questions, we don’t keep track. However, you can add difficulty by only allowing players 20 questions as a group to figure it out.

2. A Little Lesson: Reactions and the Brain

The brain is fascinating. It also helps determine a lot of our behavior, so the more we understand it the better.

Tuck your thumb under your other fingers. The thumb represents the “feeling” part of the brain. The other fingers represent the “thinking” part of the brain.

Sometimes, when something feels scary or upsetting, we “blow our top.” Lift your fingers to show how when this happens, our thinking brain is no longer connected to the rest of the brain. It’s our emotional brain in charge.

This is one reason we make choices when we’re upset that we wouldn’t make at other times like slamming doors, hurting people, or saying things we later regret.

Explain that we can learn to relax ourselves with deep breathing, a moment away, a hug, or other techniques. When this happens, our thinking brain connects again. Put your fingers back on top of your thumb.

We make the best decisions when we’re using both the emotional and thinking parts of our brain.

This idea is from the book The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson. I highly recommend it!

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Wondering how to fit Little Lessons into your busy family schedule?

The two main ways to fit important lessons into your busy family schedule are to find spontaneous teaching moments throughout the day and to schedule family learning time each week. These two posts go into detail about these two ways and tips for making it happen with your family.

How Busy Parents Can Teach Important Life Lessons

6 Tips for Family Time that Teaches Life’s Most Important Lessons

3. A Service Idea: Include the Lonely

Lonely people are all around us.

Encourage each family member to reach out to someone who might be lonely. Ideas include asking someone different to play at recess, inviting someone new in town to hang out, or sending a text to someone that comes to mind.

Service is a great way to build a stronger, happier family. If you want more service ideas, request Raising Compassionate Children in a Conceited World, which includes 101 Service Ideas for Families.

4. Something Random: Raising a Healthy, Happy Teen Virtual Summit for Parents of Teens

This is an incredible opportunity for parents of teens…

Through the emotional rollercoasters, tough topics, and challenging moments, the teen years can be turbulent for teens AND their parents. They can also be incredibly fun years and provide an important foundation for our kids going into adulthood.

In this virtual summit, hear from experts about how to raise a healthy, happy teen and how to, through it all, create a relationship with your teenager that lasts. Plus, connect with these speakers and other parents of teens to get your questions answered, know you’re not alone, and get the support you need.

The Raising a Healthy, Happy Teen Virtual Summit is happening soon!

Learn more, see the speaker lineup, and grab your FREE ticket here!

5. A Quick Tip: Back-Up Meals Save Time

Meal planning is an amazing way to save time, money, and sanity. However, some nights real life happens and the meal plan doesn’t. Step in back-up meals…

Good last minute meals include meals that are shelf-stable or freezer friendly AND pretty quick to put together. Examples include pasta and a jar of sauce, frozen burritos, or canned soup or chili.

Choose five or six meals, and slowly stock up on these. Then when you have a night when the meal plan doesn’t work or you don’t make it to the store, you know exactly what you can eat instead.

This will save time and money as we have no more last minute trips to the grocery store!

And that is Friday’s Fast Five!

You can also see Friday’s Fast Five on Instagram or other editions HERE.

Building a Stronger, Happier Family

It takes time and intention to build a stronger, happier family. I hope Friday’s Fast Five helps you find the ways that work for YOUR family to learn, laugh, and love together.

We will never regret the time we devote to our families and relationships with our kids.

Have a great weekend with your family, know that you’re loved, and keep on lovin’!

Do you have a great idea for a future Friday’s Fast Five? Have a question or parenting struggle you want help with? Share in the comments, shoot me an Email, or schedule a call.

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