Family time
What does family time actually mean to a child who cannot picture it? The words say nothing about content, and when one wants a board game, another wants a film and you want to bake, something concrete helps everyone meet in the middle – start with the images below.
Family time
A family with two adults and two children stands together in front of a sun inside a circle of puzzle pieces.
Family together
Two adults and a child hold hands under a sun and a tree.
About this visual support
The phrase family time covers everything and nothing. To an adult it often just means being in the same room, but a child who asks what you are actually going to do gets no answer from the words themselves. Meanwhile everyone pulls in a different direction: one wants noise and movement, another wants quiet, and whoever speaks first sets the tone for the rest.
Visual support turns shared time into something you can look at together. A row of pictures – board game, snack, story, lights out – shows that several wishes fit one after another instead of competing. It also makes the end of the evening visible, which is usually the hardest part once everyone is having fun.
One tip that works specifically for family time: let each person pick one picture, then lay them out in order before you start. The turn taking is settled in advance rather than in the middle of the evening. The images here are free to download, and if you want them on your phone with a timer and check-off, you can try Routined free for 14 days.