How to have more time together as a family

If you've ever wondered how we have time to do TTT, this newsletter is for you.

If I were to give myself a title for my role at home, it would probably be Head of Culture. Of course, John and I both wear multiple hats — I’d also be in the running for Keeper of the Schedule, Wardrobe Mistress, and Director of Read-Alouds — but when I think of what I’m most passionate about and what I spend the most time and energy cultivating, it’s the culture of our family and home.

Some of my efforts are easy to point to, like Team Thomas Tuesdays or our back to school dinner. Others are less specific but equally important: the way we speak to each other, the virtues we elevate, how our home feels.

To grow a culture, though, one thing that is required is time — time to be together, time to talk to each other, time to do things together — and that can be hard to come by in modern family life. While our kids are relatively young (8, 6, and 3), it already feels like a struggle, and I know that the lure of activities and relationships away from the home and outside the family unit will only get stronger as they grow.

But whether it’s a family game night, dinner around the table, evening walks, or a weekend trip, time together is incredibly valuable to us, and something we’re happy to fight for, especially in these younger years. If you’re in the same fight, here are four of the ways we’ve intentionally kept (or cleared) room in our schedule to be together as a family.