Having A Fam-tastic Summer

Children spend most of the year in school, and parents are there to guide them from their classes to their homework. Two years of being home because of the pandemic and online classes brings up a roller coaster of feelings for everyone: from scrambling to finish homework, helping the kids focus on tasks, and to balancing how they must miss being outdoors and playing with friends. With the summer break, parents can spend quality time with their children and reconnect.

Luckily, Richie Santos, General Manager, can do all these things as he has good work-life integration at BRAD Warehouse and Logistics Services Inc., an Asticom subsidiary. Richie schedules activities and tasks for the day, so he does not bring work home. Learning from experience, here are his tips on how to maximize family time this summer.

1. Plan a vacation!
   This might sound like an ordinary idea, but after going through two pandemic years (and counting), going on a vacation even for a weekend will make you feel extraordinary! There are many things to discover from the places you visit and from each other. Taking kids to new places and making up for lost vacation time will allow the family to discover new interests outside home. Before going on the trip, organize a fun family meeting to decide what exciting activities the kids want to explore.
2. Schedule movie nights.
   Make movie nights at home extra special by preparing a snack station in the living room – lay out some popcorn bowls, chips and dip, and refreshing drinks that everyone will enjoy. Richie’s family schedules a weekly Friday movie night. The Santos’ vote and agree on what movie to watch that’s fun for both adults and kids.
3. Enjoy themed meals together.
   It is all about elevating simple rituals at home to make them feel fresh and new. Summer is an ideal time to get kids more involved in the kitchen and teach them basic meal preparation skills. Having themed meals like Mexican nights with tacos, nachos, queso… nothing can go wrong. Burger-and-bun Sundays, Filipino boodle fights, Japanese bento lunches… the options are endless.
4. Play outdoors.
   Being stuck indoors will make you greatly appreciate a quick drive and a simple picnic outdoors. It is nostalgic to see kids enjoy the simple pleasures we had growing up: the feeling of walking on grass, being surrounded by boundless hills, and making shadows under the sun.

Richie shares, “Making time to plan bonding activities with family is not easy, but is most rewarding and worth all the effort. It raises the morale of families and brings them closer together. These aspects enrich work-life harmony because every interaction is an opportunity to connect with our families, and an inspiration to work harder for them.”

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