How does one define family? Most of us may think of it as the people we are related to by birth, marriage, or blood, nurturing and taking care of their offspring and other members.

In simple words, they are the people we grew up with and have known all our lives, but they can also be those who also seem to have memorized every detail about us and never left our side, like our friends.

We all know just how important family is, right?

Mom and her delicious home-cooked meals, Dad and his funny jokes, the somehow competitive yet loving environment around us and our siblings, and the adorable pets that we take care of better than ourselves – all members of our family.

They are not just our parents and siblings. They are our primary support system, advisers, and motivators.

However, as times pass, we may get a little more distant and want some personal space, away from our family members.

Due to reasons like school, work, distance, and the like, most families rarely have time to spend with each other. Having everyone in the same room together seems to happen only once in a blue moon.

With this, the bond seems to fade slowly, and a sort of distance forms between family members. Despite this, there are some activities we can do to strengthen this bond once again, like chores.

Yes, we know doing household chores is probably the last thing you guys imagined we would suggest, but yes, doing chores can help in mending family bonds.

You can participate and choose the chore you want to do while interacting with other family members. Here is a step-by-step list you can follow if you’re going to try this suggestion:

1. Remind everyone that this is a family responsibility, which means that you and your family members should be directly involved, not other people.
2. Then, create a list of chores that you do in your household, like sweeping the floor and wiping the windows, and let everyone choose which one they want. Make them sign their name on the side as a sign of commitment.
3. Next, set a time during the week for each chore. You can choose to do the chore at different times or at a specific time or day of the week.
4. If some personal schedules are too tight, you can adjust the schedule by setting a deadline instead of a specific time of day for them to finish their chores. Also, remind them that doing chores together takes up much lesser time and means getting more time to do other things, like watching movies and playing games.
5. This is entirely optional, but you can also give small rewards for a job well done. It can be candy, ice cream, road trips, camping, watching TV, or playing games together. Anything you can do as a family helps strengthen bonds because of the memories and chit-chat you share.

Keeping a house clean can be very tiring, which is why we need to do our part in maintaining the cleanliness of our homes. Chores should be seen as a family responsibility, not just mom’s or dad’s responsibility.

Doing small things, such as throwing trash or not leaving dishes on the sink, can go a long way. Helping someone out with their chores can also help them get the job done quicker and develop a sense of camaraderie with their partner.

However, you can outsource some chores at times. You can bring your laundry to the nearest laundry service or hire a maid service to deep clean your house.

While these chores are outsourced, you can go for a quick road trip with your family or watch the cinemas– another way to bond.