The Best Ways To Make Your Family Feel Closer During Lockdown

The last year has been incredibly hard for everyone, and those of us with kids will know that the distance between us and our friends and loved ones has felt enormous. All the video calls in the world don’t change the fact that our children have not been able to see their cousins, uncles and aunts and grandparents in person for months. Now, that hasn’t stopped us flooding the family WhatsApp with daily pictures and videos, but as we face at least another month in lockdown here in the UK, it is important for all of us to make sure that we are not missing out on those treasured moments and special occasions.

Here are a few tips to help you and your family feel a little closer together as we wait to turn the corner and count down the days until we can all be in the same room again.

Don’t Overthink The Video Calls

It’s always hard to wrangle a large group of people for a chat, especially when everyone is so busy and stressed. As a result, many of us have fallen back on scheduling family video calls to a strict timetable, or keeping them for special occasions. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with having a regular catch-up at a time everyone can remember to keep free, we would suggest: don’t overthink it. Your little ones don’t come with a reminder app, so if they’re feeling bubbly and chatty, just pick up the phone! Trust us, granny isn’t going to be annoyed that her little angel is calling outside of the Saturday afternoon timeslot.

Think About Picture Gifts

It’s hard to imagine how hard the last year would have been without the technology to send photos and videos to our friends and family, and seeing their happy, laughing faces or sharing the bad times together. But one result of these constant updates is that it can make us forget about the importance of capturing those special moments properly, rather than sharing them immediately. A framed photo gift is always going to mean something special, so if you’re wondering how to brighten your relatives’ days with a reminder of who’s waiting to see them in person again, think about treating to a present they can put in the pride of place in their home. You can use a site such as Picframes if you want to choose the style and size of your frame.

Embark On A Project Together

Group family holidays may be out of the question for now, but that doesn’t mean that you still can’t explore as a group. An activity or project that you can do together can help you forget about the distance between you and will certainly help while away those winter evenings. For the foodies among us, why not agree to start learning how to cook a new kind of cuisine and share the results (and everything you found difficult!). If you’ve been talking about a holiday in a far-flung destination once all this is over, why not learn the language and keep track of your progress (you can even test each other!). From growing vegetables to getting fit, taking on a new challenge as a family is a wonderful way to stay connected and stay positive!

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