family rhythms
Aug 12, 2023

Leveraging Family Rhythms

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by Katie Rapp

All families have rhythms. Whether you realize it or not, your family rhythms are the cadences that your people follow. There may be times that it seems chaotic or unseen but if you strip away all of the fluff you will the cadence to which your family marches. 

 

There are some typical rhythms that almost every family has and those are the rhythms we want to take advantage of as we raise our kids. However, each family has some uniqueness when it comes to how they choose to be intentional. 

 

Typical Family Rhythms

First I want to dive into the most commons rhythms for most families. These are the times that we can really leverage as parents. Even in these seemingly small, inconsequential moments we can make a lasting impact on our kids. We can pour in and plant seeds that will grow and bloom in God’s timing. 

Breakfast Time

The first time you really get to connect with your kids each day is at the breakfast table. This could look different for each family and that is okay. Even if it is a few minutes over a bowl of cereal while reading a few verses of scripture or working on that week’s memory verse. 

 

It could also even be listening to praise and worship songs while eating breakfast quietly. Some people are able to have a full devotional time during breakfast. If that is you, great! We love that!  But it doesn’t happen for everyone and that is okay. Memory verse work or praise and worship music still sets the tone for the day and positions their hearts to God. 

Drive Time

As Americans, we spend a lot of time in the car. So why not use that time wisely? This is a time when you have a captive audience, literally. They can’t go anywhere!

 

I like to use this time to have conversations, ask about their day, and answer their questions. We also have a drive time playlist that mostly consists of Tauren Wells that we play on repeat. Singing along together is a low key bonding activity

Lunch Time

This is more for during the summer or breaks unless you homeschool and then you get a bonus rhythm time during the school year!  Since we are a public school family we try to take advantage of this time during the summer months by having a yummy screen-free lunch to break up the day. 

 

We might not do anything overtly spiritual during this time but it does offer a connection time. It offers a touchpoint in the middle of the day to regroup and reset. Bellies are full and most of the time they are ready for an afternoon rest. The sweetest part of the day!

Dinner Time

Everyone has to eat dinner right? While our busy schedules may not always allow for everyone to be home for dinner every night, it is a good idea to aim for at least 4-5 nights a week to eat as a family. 

 

When your kids are young and don’t have a choice family dinners happen more often. But as the kids grow older, activities tend to take over. Then they start driving and may spend more dinners with friends than with family. 

 

But that doesn’t mean you can’t make family dinners a part of your rhythm. If it is a part of their lives when they are young then they will likely start missing having dinner together when they are older and make it a priority. 

 

We like to use this as a debrief from the day. To talk about our ups and downs and process through what has gone on since the last time we saw each other. We also like to laugh and ask silly questions such as “if you could sing one song to annoy people forever what would it be?” Lambchop anyone? Am I aging myself???

Bed Time

The best part of the day!!! I mean maybe that was a little too enthusiastic but I know all of the parents understand me. 

 

But really this is a great time to wind down and hear their hearts as they go to sleep. It is also a great time for a devotional and a Bible story.

 

So many deep thoughts and questions pop into their heads at the end of the day and you don’t want to miss those moments. Take the time to answer the questions, hear their thoughts, pray with them, and get them their 42nd drink of water. You won’t regret it.

 

Some Unique Rhythms of My Family

There may also be some unique rhythms in different families. For us, we like to slow down in the winter. Well, maybe I just like to slow down in the winter!  But my family joins me because when mom slows down, everyone slows down. 

 

It is true that mom sets the rhythms for the family which is good news for us. Winter is my favorite season for a couple of reasons. I like the cold, the candles, and the warm blankets. I just like feeling cozy.  And since the sun sets so early during this season it is the perfect time to say no to activities, focus on what God has given us, and have a content heart. It is what I like to call my family’s reset time. 

 

No matter what rhythms your family has, take advantage of them. Leverage them for maximum time with your kids, leverage them for Jesus. 

Looking for a community or someone to grab coffee with who is in a similar life season? We’d love to connect with you and get to know you better! Below you will find a few people that can’t wait to meet you, shoot us an email so we can make a plan!

Tyler OJ Campus

Teresa Ator: teresaa@gcc.org

Bethanie Tayler: bethaniet@gcc.org

Tyler UB Campus

Max Heller: maxh@gcc.org

Marthe Durosiermarthed@gcc.org

Lindale Campus

Molly Pontius: mollyp@gcc.org

Debra Kirby: debra@gcc.org

Katie Rapp is the Grace K!DS Community Director at the Lindale Campus of Grace Community Church. She and her husband Brian have five children ranging in age from 17 to 3. Four of their children are by birth and one entered the family through adoption. She is an avid reader, enjoys writing, loves mugs so much it has become a problem, and can often be found walking her dogs in her neighborhood.