How to make the most of your weekends at home with the family

If you ask yourself every Monday “Where did the weekend go?” it might be because you’re not making the most of your 48 hours off work! We’re going to look at how you can maximise your weekends and claim back those precious hours with the family!

When you think about it, it’s surprising just how much time you can waste by sitting around doing nothing all day. A weekend should be made up of activities and relaxation, but you might spend most of it doing household chores and although these are essential tasks, try to create a weekend routine so you can make the most of your time, especially when you’re at home with the family.

Here are a few practical tips for you to try and hopefully you’ll wake up every Monday ready to take on the week!

Plan on Friday night

Use your Friday night wisely by planning ahead for the weekend. Make a list of the housework you need to complete and then note down all the activities you want to do. Include a mix of ideas for both sunny and wet weather.

This way you’ll be able to wake up on Saturday morning with a plan in place, ready to tackle those weekend jobs first thing to allow time for your planned activities later!

Get the kids involved in household chores

You know what they say, sharing is caring! With this in mind, why not set a few chores for the kids to do around the house, this way you’ll be able to reward them with a treat at the end.

Assigning small tasks like putting the clothes in the washing machine, folding clothes, paring off the socks and watering the plants teaches your children valuable skills they’ll need later on in life.

Get out of the house

How often do you get to Sunday evening and realise you haven’t even stepped outside all weekend? This is one of the reasons why our weekends seem to fly by.

Set aside some time to go outside for some fresh air! Go on a family bike ride, get the paddling pool out (weather depending) go for a walk in the woods or visit your local park!

Challenge the kids

There’s no use sitting your kids in front of a TV or computer screen all weekend! Children need plenty of activities to keep entertained. Weekends are a great time to set the kids a new challenge like baking, crafting or taking part in sports.

Boost your children’s confidence by visiting somewhere new or encourage them to make something and praise them for their good work.

Create a special weekend tradition

Weekends are a sacred time for families, two whole days together with no work, no school, meetings or clubs. Cherish the time with your family and spend some time together, block out a day in the diary for game night on Saturday evenings, film night or Sunday brunch.

Do something educational

Just because it’s the weekend, doesn’t mean all education is off. Arrange a fun and educational day trip that you can enjoy as a family and make some cherished memories. If you have younger children, they should be learning something new every day, even on weekends as this will help their mental development.

You could go to a zoo and learn about all the different animals, visit a castle for a little bit of history or even go to a science museum.

Switch off the devices

Leave your phone and tablet in another room or upstairs, try not to be tempted to check social media every 5 minutes. We waste so much time with our heads down looking at our devices when we should be focusing on family and spending quality time with them, watching the children play, joining in playing games and talking to one another.