Board Games and The Joy of Family Time

I am a firm believer that family relationships are seriously lacking and that the best solution to many of the problems currently facing families could very well be as simple as just pulling out a board game. The typical evening at my home used to consist of dad on the computer, mom watching tv, 2 of the kids playing separately in their bedrooms and the teenager out with friends.
As I looked around one evening I realized that as a family we were co-habitating but really not growing together or improving family relationships. I tried coming up with ideas of how I could make better use of our evenings together, but to be honest, I struggled a bit to come up with an idea that would be fun for the young ones and exciting enough to keep the teenager interested in staying home and spending time with us as well.
I decided to make up some special invitations, one for each member of the family, inviting them to an official board game night where there would be ice cream, toppings, and 2 fun board games we could play as a family. The results were miraculous! The kids loved playing the games together and my wife and I loved watching the kids interact with one another. Everyone had fun and we did it together!
That first board game night has actually turned into a weekly tradition for our family. Each member of the family has a turn to choose the board game and the treat and we have a blast. Our game collection has grown to include some really fun board games.
As hectic as life can get sometimes, it is always important to find a way to spend time together as a family. And playing board games together has helped us to strengthen family relationships while having a great time.