A Guide to Mindful Quality Time with Teens

In light of the recent disruptions in our regular schedules and temporary adjustments our hope is that Dave and I can spread joy and help you create meaningful memories during the coming days with your family. We feel this is an opportunity, not a crisis, or a need to panic but a chance to bond and connect at home with our four teens. We hope you will too. ​

Photo Cred: Sara McDonald who offered a neighborhood porch photo shoot at a distance!

Engaging teens is a bit more challenging than when they were little. It was easy to grab some yarn, markers, glue, and paint and keep them entertained for hours, just a few short years ago. With electronics glued to almost every teen's hand, finding ways to experience quality time and make memories has required a bit more creativity. 

I'm not gonna lie, as a family of Italians we get pretty picky with our Italian dishes. Demi knocked this cavatelli dish she created out of the park.

Anticipating these adjustments Dave, and I rallied the family to create a LONG list of things we can do over the coming weeks. To stay involved and engaged the kids plan to create a video history of our "Schradcation" experiences. 

We have included a link to  our family list below in hopes that it may spark some ideas for you and your family! If you wish to take a look at all of our ideas you can find them here at: https://www.restorationharmonyhomes.com/portfolio and we love comments so please share some of the ideas your family has come up with as inspiration for others. 

Here is how we did it. We "stormbrained" (a term coined by our daughter, Demi) plans, and just kept adding with only one rule. There was no idea off the table; they all would make a list no matter how crazy or unrealistic they might be. The list continues to grow, and we hope we will be checking things off and adding to our inventory of ideas for years to come. 

Above are just a few of our favorite items purchased early into our quarantine. Demi and Rayah love to bake and cook so this cake decorating kit has been an awesome investment. Family games, like Telestrations (think the game telephone but on steroids) have kept us entertained for hours. If you have crafty kids, try the temporary henna tattoos. They come with designs or you can create your own. It's relatively easy to do with BONUS little mess.

"Build something" was on our list. With the help from their dad, Demi and Landon built a desk and a blanket ladder showcased in the photos above.

Rayah and Dave spent some quality time creating pieces that Ray will sell on our online store. Two really cool coffee tables. Check out our online Mercantile to see them and more fun items. And speaking of our Mercantile, Demi single-handedly inventoried, uploaded and listed all of our items onto the online store and launched it two weeks ago. It's really fun to have the kids involved more in our business and it certainly is a bonding experience. It also gives them a chance to earn some extra cash! 

My Aunt Jan also created daily family challenges like this "dress up your dog" challenge on National Puppy Day. These have been so fun and it allows us to "see" each other via photo and video. 

And one of Dave and I's favorite activities was our fondue party. It reminded me of when I was little. The kids got to experience something they never had before and there were lots of laughs....and questions. We aren't sure they were convinced that sitting around a table and watching your food cook was worth it, but for Dave and I we gained a captive audience around a table for two hours....WINNING!

If there is one gift we can give our readers and fans this month, it is the gift of family, of connection, laughter, hope, and, most of all, the joy of happiness! Happy “stormbraining"! And if you have something awesome you or your family has done please leave a reply below! 
​
"A day spent with you is my favorite day. So today is my favorite day!" ~Winnie The Pooh

SHARING IS CARING! 
We would LOVE to know what questions, problems or challenges you may have when it comes to design, home improvement, family and travel. Please share your thoughts and comments by leaving us a reply below.   help us get to know you better. We are excited to connect with you and learn more about your hopes, desires and dreams. 

This is our way of serving your needs,  so you can get to know us better. 

We hope you will do the same! Please, introduce yourself on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or comment on our blog. Cheers, Dave and Angela