This week, our family was given 230 extra minutes! That’s right, we have been given the gift of time. We’ve decided to use this time as if it were a classroom, a giant cloud to fall into, a locker room, an open sky, and a huge concert hall. The interesting part of all of this is that this time is actually spent in a rather small, confined, metal frame where we each have assigned seats. We pull down our safety harnesses because sometimes, it’s a bumpy ride!

With school, baseball, and church alone, 230 minutes a week is about how much time our family spends in the car. Have you ever stopped to think about how much time your family has together in the car? With just a little bit of intentionality, this can be time that changes the dynamic of your family forever!

A classroom:

When you stop to think about it, there are endless things you can teach your children while you’re riding in the car.

(My son has a new interest in all the rules of the road ever since we let him drive the car across our field. What better way to prepare them for driving than to talk about it while you drive.)

-     Talk about the nature that’s all around you.

-     Teach a new Bible verse.

-     Talk about how to be safe.

-     Teach your kids the importance of money management.

-     Talk about the importance of eating healthy.

A Giant Cloud to Fall Into:

- Make your car a safe haven. Let your children know that they can talk about anything during this time.

- Give your children the opportunity to begin the conversation as soon as they get in the car so that they have the chance to share personal feelings before they lose their nerve.

A Locker Room

 - Give your best pep talks in the car!

- Use this time to tell your kids how proud of them you are.

- Talk about how lucky you feel to be a part of this “family team”.

An Open Sky (this is my favorite)

Use this time as if you are handing your children a helium balloon and telling them to write on their balloon anything they need to release from their life. Have them envision releasing their balloons into the open sky straight up to heaven.

-     Talk about fears they are feeling.

-     Talk about worries they may have about school or friends.

-     Ask them whom they want to pray for.

-     Encourage them to let go of any kind of regret.

A Huge Concert Hall

- Don’t forget to sing!!

- Make up new lyrics to old songs.

- See just how fast you can sing and still get the words right.

Ways to make the best of your drive time

-     Eliminate the criticism (even the constructive kind). Let this time be full of encouragement and laughter.

-     Mandate that all the little “boxes” as we call them, are turned off and put away…iPhones, iPads, iTouches…aye yigh yigh!

- Keep the probing questions to a minimum. If you’re dying to ask about a personal situation in your child’s life, perhaps you could first tell a similar story from your own childhood that might naturally spark a conversation instead of interrogating your child.

- Be intentional about studying the lives of your children. Look for what makes them come to life and focus on these things during your drive time.

Your daily drive time can be the way to get back your lost time! Please share with us how you spend your family drive time. We’d love to hear from you.

Kelly Breece- Blogger on The Simplified Family

(Post taken from Kelly’s blog. Check it out!)

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