9 Ways to bond with your family this April, the penny-pinching way!

April- it’s that month of year when daddies receive their annual increases and quarterly bonuses; when mommies bask in the parlor and take advantage of the 50 percent discount offered by establishments just to attract customers, undergo a facial. The time of year when kids are at home and allowances are put on hold even for just a few weeks.

This April, families can enjoy each other’s company, doing quality time together without really squandering daddy’s entire newly earned bonus and sacrificing mommy’s once-in-a-blue-moon facial massage. Here are a few tips on how to do it, the penny-pinching way…

1. Have a family project – Let your family’s creativity focus on something all of you can relate to and use in the house. A little garden with a different variety of flowers on the front yard would do, or a dog house that your youngsters can take turns painting after daddy does the carpentry, while mommy prepares the snacks.

2. Last movie full show – Savor the greatness of popcorn by cooking a batch at home, with the coldest drink straight from the fridge- bottomless! A short drive to the local DVD shop or even in Fuente Osmeña would do the trick.  Here are some suggested movies to watch:

•For your toddlers, Finding Nemo would be perfect. This is a father-son underwater adventure – how the son lost his way and how his father did everything to find the little clownfish.

•For teenagers, Anywhere But Here would be a good choice. A story about a mother who knows best, and a daughter who knows better. How they both fight each other but still love each other to the very end.

•Up coming movie Johnson Family Dinner, which is scheduled to be released sometime this year is also a fine movie to look forward to. A comedy drama that focuses on the hardships and happiness that the whole family shares over Sunday dinner. How they comfort each other and give advice to one another. 

3. Set up a garage sale – Tidy up while earning. Teach your kids business while getting rid of unused thinges inside the house. You can let the kids ransack their cabinets and gather things that they can part with and afterwards, assign them to give out flyers to the neighbors regarding the rummage sale. Daddy and mommy can carefully arrange the stuff and tag them with reasonable prices for the said sale.

4. Do sports together – Who says going to the gym is expensive? Well it is, if you’re imagining Fitness First or CitiGym, but hey, think Abellana! All of you can do rounds at the track and field. You can also play doubles in badminton at the sides or even enroll your son, and daddy too, in taekwando lessons while mommy and daughter do the belly dancing sessions. They are just very affordable with 50 pesos rate per person per session. 

5. Night life out – Night life are just for teenagers. Right, right, right…  Says who? You guys can all go to Mango Square and visit some KTVs. The place may be a little jam-packed for the kids, but there’s Gimik KTV where you can get a room for only 100 pesos per hour and enjoy the privacy of the space. You can sing together- daddy can teach junior how to rock n’ roll the Elvis way and junior, in turn, can show dad his best Bamboo imitation of his video “Hallelujah.”

6. Think nature – Though not an ideal place to go to for now because of heavy traffic, but the long drive will be all worth it. Family Park in Talamban is a perfect place for family outdoor activities. It has a vast children’s playground equipped with swings, see-saws and the likes. It also boasts of a wild-life sanctuary and a mini zoo that the children will love. Added bonus is the adult’s and kid’s pools that can be enjoyed the whole day through. All these for an entrance fee of 10 pesos per adult and 5 pesos per kid.

7. Be an active citizen of the community, together! - Sports, religious, intellectual activities… name it and for sure your community or barangay have lots of projects for everyone this vacation. And it is up to you to help. Dad and son can maybe join the basketball tournament and help out in soliciting prizes for the said sports event. Mom and daughter, on the other hand, can do a religious activity and help teach catechism at the parish church.

8. History 101 – They might have dozed off to sleep the moment their teachers talked about Magellan and Lapu-Lapu at school, but Mom and dad can teach the kids history lessons that they can truly relate to, like where they first met and where they tied the knot and exchange I do’s. Mommy and daddy can reminisce the “love and kilig factor” of the old days, and at the same time, have the chance to talk to their kids casually about love and relationships.

9. Open-house in the office – Bring your kids to the office and orient them with what you do so they can appreciate your work and at the same time, learn the value of hardwork. You can let them assist you with your tasks and you can also relax a little, knowing that your kids are with you and not somewhere away from you. This is also a good time for them to meet mature people who can share some valuable insights, like your boss and your officemates.

So, what are you waiting for? Start those activities while the sun is still hot and summer is still in its full bloom!