It’s time to spice up family date nights! Schedule a screen-free, family mystery date once a month and head here to discover your secret challenge!
Today’s world is chock full of appointments, activities, sports games, you name it. We often find ourselves so engulfed in “life” that we may not even notice the life all around us.
I want to challenge you to TAKE JUST ONE DAY out of each month to turn off all the devices and crowd out all the noise. Take just one day to slow down and truly enjoy spending time with your family.
Your family is one of the most precious gifts God will ever give you.
It’s true, though, that sometimes being with other people can be a pretty difficult challenge all on its own.
However, learning to humbly work, laugh, and play alongside one another can bring the utmost joy to our hearts, souls, and minds.
Take the opportunity to invest in those closest to you. “Take” your family “out” on a family mystery date.
How Do Family Mystery Dates Work?
At the beginning of each month, a new mystery date edition will be released. Stay tuned for the February 2024 edition! (You can now download the February edition here.)
To take part in a family mystery date, you will need to schedule a morning, afternoon, or evening once a month to spend time with your family.
You can download and/or print off the family mystery date details, but NO ONE in your family IS ALLOWED TO SNEAK A PEAK at the secret challenge before your date starts.
This means that as soon as your family date begins, all the members of your family will be reading or hearing about the challenge for THE FIRST TIME. If anyone (even a parent!) looks at the secret challenge before the date, that will be considered cheating (and won’t be nearly as much fun!).
In each edition you will find instructions, rules, and the secret challenge. Make sure you read the instructions and rules before reading the challenge.
How Can I Get My Family Involved?
One of the best ways to get your family involved is by building suspense! Go ahead and put this date on your calendar and then talk about it with your family multiple times before it even happens! They might just join in for the sake of curiosity!
What Should I Do about a Family Member Who Isn’t Interested?
If you have a family member who isn’t interested in participating in a family mystery date, that can be discouraging!
Although the family mystery date rules state that everyone must participate, we all know that life is not so cut and dry sometimes. You will just need to do your best with this.
If a child is uninterested, require them to at least sit in the same room/place as the rest of the family. If an adult is uninterested, politely ask him/her if they would be willing to at least sit in the same room/place as the rest of the family. Then, while the family is participating in the challenge, occasionally (and patiently) encourage the uninterested family member to join in on the fun. Eventually he/she will probably get tempted to participate!
Another way to encourage a family member to participate is by having the family tell that member how much they would love for him/her to join in. Explain that it would mean so much to the family for everyone to all be together. Sometimes encouraging and cheerful words alone can do the trick!
How Can I Get the Most Out of Our Family Mystery Dates?
Be Realistic
When planning your family mystery date, be realistic about the time that you set aside for this. Don’t try to cram it into a tiny time slot. Allow yourself to be relaxed and free for at least one time slot a month.
I would also encourage you to be realistic about your family’s energy capacity. For example, if you have an incredibly long day of events scheduled on a particular day, you may not want to schedule a family date night on that same day. You want to try to schedule this date at a time when your family will have the time and energy to participate.
However, like I said, you have to be realistic. Your family may be so busy that that IS the only time slot you have to do the family date. Yet, I would encourage you to see if there is something that you might can cut out so your family time can be more enjoyable!
Be Flexible
Life is not something we can pack into a pretty, little box. Sometimes you may have a sick family member. An event may have taken longer than you anticipated. Your family may not be super excited about this date.
Be willing to be okay with your circumstances and do the best you can to work with what you have! That may mean postponing the family mystery date to a different date or possibly modifying the challenge a bit to fit your family’s needs.
Be Cheerful
You won’t always feel like being the Energizer Bunny; however, having a light and cheery attitude about spending time together is contagious! Spread the cheer just by setting a good example for your other family members!
Be Mindful
No matter how things go, always keep the main target in mind: spending time with those you love. Your aim should always be to invest in your family and set aside time to get to know them on a deeper level. It won’t ever be perfect. But it can be beautiful if you maintain a patient and positive mindset.
I pray that this truly blesses your family! Have a good time together and stay tuned for the next edition! (You can now download the February edition here.)
