Written by: Sara Jones

Creating Intentional Moments With Your Kids

Have you ever wished for a superpower?

Maybe you could wave a magic wand and the laundry is folded and put away? Or maybe that wand magically cooks dinner and sets a beautiful table with fresh flowers for your family? If I could choose a mom superpower, it would be to freeze time or go back in time for just one moment….

Right now, my social media is full of back-to-school photos. Maybe yours is too. New backpacks, another milestone accomplished, another inch taller, or even another year smarter. The side-by-side comparison photos really get me in my feelings — like the ones showing the first day of kindergarten and the first day of their senior year.

Some families are walking into middle school; others are dropping off their kids at college. I just sent my daughter into first grade… and somehow, that felt like college. (Wasn’t she just learning to walk?)

Photo: Sara Jones and her family at WinShape Camps for Families

Parenting Paradox

How can your heart ache and overflow with gratitude at the same time? That’s the paradox of parenting. Everyone says, “The days are long, but the years are short,” and somehow it’s true.

I remember when my firstborn was a baby and a mentor gave me a jar of 936 dried beans. It certainly seemed like a strange gift– until the mentor explained that the 936 beans represented how many weeks I had with my child until she turned 18. I was told to remove one bean each week. A visual reminder of how precious our time really is.

Wherever you find yourself in this season with your precious children, I want to encourage your heart around intentionality. Creating rhythms of intentionality towards your kids will never be added to your list of regrets.

✨ 20 Ways to Create Intentional Moments with Your Kids

One day I will launch my flaming arrow of a daughter (she really is fiery) as an 18-year-old ready to take on the world for her freshman year of college. But until that day comes, I’ve decided to set my mind on creating intentional moments with her and her brother.

Here is a list to hopefully encourage you and give you some ideas to consider in creating intentional moments with your kids:

• One-on-one breakfast dates
  (Weekly or bi-weekly — just you and one kid at a time)
• Dinner as a family
  (Make it a no-phone, all-family zone)
• Milestone birthday trips
  (Celebrate big with memory-making adventures)
• Bedtime prayers
  (End each day with connection and conversation)
• Dance parties in the kitchen
  (Crank up the tunes and let loose!)
• Picnic meals outside
  (Take lunch to the yard or park and enjoy the change of scenery)
• “Walk & talks”
  (Go for a stroll and talk about anything on their heart – talking is easier when kids don’t have to make eye contact)

• Backyard Water Olympics
  (Buckets, balloons, sprinklers—whatever makes a splash!)
• Volunteer together
  (Find one way each month to serve others side-by-side)
• Pizza, Pajamas & Movie Night
  (Pick a weekly night to unwind and snuggle up)
• Saturday morning pancakes
  (Make it a sweet family tradition)
• Weekly game night
  (Take turns letting each family member choose the game)
• Shared journal
  (Write notes, questions, doodles—pass it back and forth)
• Build a fort
  (Treehouse or blanket—either way, it’s memory-making gold)
• Bike rides together
  (Explore your neighborhood or try a new trail)
• Cook a full meal together
  (Let them help from grocery list to clean-up)
• Learn something new side-by-side
  (Pottery? Gardening? Juggling? You choose!)
• Surprise notes
  (Hide them in a lunchbox, backpack, or under their pillow)
• Weekly encouragement text
  (Pick a day and time—send love straight to their phone)
• Step away and reconnect
  (Join us for a Family Weekend this fall or spring, or attend a Family Camp this summer!)

You Don’t Need Superpowers—Just a Weekend

We know you want to make the most of the time you have. That’s why we created WinShape Family Weekends—a chance to hit pause on the busy and focus on what matters most. (Registration opens on August 6th!)

At Family Weekend, you’ll play, laugh, worship, rest, and reconnect with the people who mean the most to you. It’s a built-in opportunity to make the kind of memories your kids will carry with them for years.

Time is flying. Let’s press pause—together.
See Family Weekend dates and locations →