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Let’s face it, during lockdown we all let our normal routines slip, more time on tech, going to bed later than usual, more treats and rewards, perhaps dinners in front of the TV or screens slipped into the mix too.

Firstly, let me start by saying that lock down and home schooling were extremely challenging times, it wasn’t a “normal” situation and so we all in some way shape or form dropped some of our routines that normally aren’t negotiable. In our house, I did whatever I needed to do to keep my family happy, safe and smiling. The issue is now, how do you reel some of these things back?

I think of all the things that may have slipped, sitting down to dinner together is the one thing that can make the greatest difference to your family.

If you’re finding mealtimes unrewarding with your teen or having glimpses of teen-like behaviour from your tween, my advice is to persist past the eye rolls, one-word answers and grunts because there is a long list of benefits associated to family mealtimes. Proven benefits such as increased self-esteem and resilience, as well as lower rates of teen pregnancy, substance abuse and eating disorders, just to name a few that are evidenced by teens that regularly connect over dinner with their families. Listed below are 10 ideas that will help to entice family mealtimes with teens:

After weeks of lockdown, my kids have started to lose interest in “the family walk”. I totally understand, they are used to doing organised sports with friends, which is usually a great mix of games and a side serve of exercise, and well, kids don’t tend to appreciate the scenery and serenity of a walk like us “old people” (so I’ve been told – thanks kids! 😂  😂 ).

So, I decided to “re-brand” the family walk, because I couldn't take another day of the kids complaining before we had even left the driveway! 😩  

With the initial two weeks of lockdown progressing into many, I have found that I needed to reassess how we manage lockdown life, in order to maintain the mental health of our family. What does this mean?

To keep it really simple, I needed our family to focus on things that make us happy and consciously place our energy towards those things.

I can see that this experience is building resilience and independence in my children, which later on I will be so grateful for, but right now, managing work and three children home learning, as well as zero after school activities, I am stretched and it is a daily challenge.