Shared Experiences

This past week I had an "a-ha" moment in parenting teen girls. My daughters and I volunteered at our church's Vacation Bible School. As I was reflecting on the week, I was mentally patting myself on the back for being a good role model and also volunteering. (I would have LOVED to have just dropped my girls off and come back home for a few hours of peace and quiet).

What I realized, though, is that the three of us had a shared experience. Although we were each volunteering in different capacities, we were all there and all played a role in the success of the week. We all saw the same kids, sang the same songs and heard the same stories. We also each had our own stories to share with each other at the end of each day.

It hit me that one great way to build relationships is to have shared experiences. This is why I read aloud to my girls. They are both capable, avid readers on their own, but when we read aloud, we have a shared experience. Heck...this is one of the main reasons we choose to educate our girls at home....so we can have the shared experience.

We are getting ready to embark on a new shared experience as a family. After almost two years of looking for a house in a different town, we have found the place where we will spend the next several years. Although we all have mixed feelings, the girls are particularly sad about leaving the only home they really remember. I, however, am really looking forward to the shared experience of making this next house our home.

I'm linking up with Good, Random, Fun and Seasons