Having a family unit is an essential part of parenting. When you give your kids a sense of self and family identity, you’re giving them a foundation that is stable. This allows them to grow into individuals with freedom and safety. Studies don’t lie; kids who have a sense of family identity do better in peer pressure situations, as well as with social and academic achievements. Here are five easy ways to bond as a family every day. 1. Highs and Lows Start a tradition of sharing the high and low of your day over dinner. Everyone in the family has to share, and answers like, “No low,” “No high,” and “All of it” doesn’t count. This exercise shows your kids that mom and dad have daily struggles, too. It also forces your kids to find something good about each day. Ultimately, this daily habit helps you gain a better insight into what your child is experiencing on a daily basis. It can introduce new friends, struggling relationships, and daily struggles you may not have otherwise known existed. 2. Read Together Quieting your mind before bed helps with meditation and quality of sleep. We love the idea of making family reading time a tradition. Shut off all of your screens about 90 minutes before lights out. Spend 45-60 minutes reading together. If your children are young, you can read to them. Older children can read silently alongside you as you read. The idea is to be physically close to one another while sharing a common activity. Your kids will enjoy the quiet time, and you will as well! 3. Take a Hike Or, if that’s too much, try a nightly walk around the neighborhood. You can practice mindfulness by using the walk as a silent time. Without talking, use your eyes and ears to explore the sounds of your street, and the way the evening sun casts shadows on the pavement. Then, when you get home, talk about what you saw and heard. This is a great way to showcase that people in the same place can see entirely different things. It also quiets the mind and prepares the body for great sleep. 4. Start a Family Tradition “We’re the family that bakes together.” Or, “We’re the family the volunteers together.” Or even, “We’re the family that camps together.” Find something to do on a regular schedule with your family. This can become an identifier of your family and help your children develop a sense of identity. 5. Give the Kids a Voice No matter the age, the lack of control in their lives is a common frustration for kids. It starts as soon as they start hearing “no” and continues well through adolescence and young adulthood. Give your kids a voice in family decisions. Ask for and consider their opinions. Choose their ideas from time to time. Doing this teaches your kids that their opinions are valid, and have weight within the family structure. This will allow them the strength to share their own opinions when you’re not around, too. It gives them a shield to stand up for themselves when peer pressure situations arise. Chances are if you give your kids a voice and choice about what’s happening to them, they’re not likely to enjoy spending time with peers who do not hear their voice. One more idea that we like? Why not pick up QALO rings for the whole family? They serve as a visual reminder that your family is a single unit and that they’re always standing with you. Even when they’re forced with tough choices, your kids can remember that they have a home base to come back to at the end of the day. Shop our silicone rings on clearance, here.