Slow Living Family Habits for a Peaceful Home with Children
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Hey friends! Today I am talking a bit about our family’s journey towards establishing slow living family habits for a peaceful home with children.
A slower-paced life is something that both my husband and I agreed on for our family before we were ever married. As two babies that had never had any babies, we knew with certainty that we wanted peace at the center of our home and daily life. Now, as a mother of two little ones with another sweet baby on the way, my greatest desire for our family is still to make our home a haven in a fast-paced world.
This sounds so simple in theory, but in a world that praises hustle and hurry, it has felt somewhat radical sometimes to live life and prioritize our schedules in this way. The truth is, living slowly and intentionally is one of the most important gifts we can give our families. And it’s worth committing to and making a priority. But it doesn’t have to be out of reach – you do not need to own a farm or live off the land. You can do this right where you are, in whatever situation.
This list I’m about to share did not happen overnight for us! We do not do this perfectly, and most has been learned through a lot of trial and error. If you read through this list and find yourself feeling overwhelmed, please choose just one thing to focus on and try every month. If you add one new thing each month, eventually these will become normal habits for your family.
So with no further ado, here are some practical tips and ideas our family has followed on our (imperfect) slow living journey.
17 Slow Living Family Habits for a Peace-Filled Home with Children:
Get up Before Your Family for Coffee and Bible/Journal
I put this first on the list because it’s far and away the most impactful thing I have done for our family’s peace. And while this has nothing to do with anyone else in my family, it really kind of has everything to do with them. I am a better wife and mother when I have had time for myself first thing in the morning. I can be more patient and giving of my time when I’ve had time to simply wake up.
I was given this advice by those more wise than me for YEARS before I actually decided to just try the darn thing. You see, I am not NOT a morning person, but I’m certainly not a morning person. I fall somewhere in-between, and do much better if I’ve had some time to drink a cup of coffee and gather my thoughts for the day before I start making breakfasts, packing lunches, etc. for little people. Taking 15 minutes or so in the quiet of my living room before the day has begun for my children – to read my Bible, journal a prayer, and wake up. This simple act helps center my heart and set a calm tone for the day. It’s wild that such a simple thing could help me to be more patient and loving to set the tone for the day, but it absolutely does.
Let Your Children Get Comfortable with Boredom
Boredom, as crazy as it sounds, invites imagination and rest.
Letting our kids experience boredom rather than handing them an iPad or turning on a tv show has been one of the best things we’ve ever done for their imaginations and joy level. While we certainly have our days when we hear “I’m bored” no less than 104 times, they also know how to play out in the backyard with the best of them or entertain themselves with some good ol’ sticks and mud. And I’m honestly so proud of that. It’s not always easy, but I encourage you to resist the urge to fill every moment. This will bless your whole family in the long run.
Celebrate Big and Little Things
Early on in our marriage, my husband received a small promotion at work. I shared it with a close group of female friends from our church, and one of them dropped off a gift card and handwritten note the next day. She said, “we have to celebrate the little things.” This truly stuck with me and planted the seed for celebration in our home.
Great report card, a praise report from a teacher, learning to tie shoes unassisted, a beloved teddy bear’s “birthday.” The list is endless, and that’s what makes it so great. Little things getting the same celebration as the big things creates a fun, joy-filled environment.
Start a New Hobby
This might as well be called, allowing YOURSELF to be bored.
I am not immune to pressures of social media and wanting to be connected to what my friends are sharing and doing. If I allow myself, instagram and facebook become my go-to for times of boredom. I have found that challenging myself to learn a new hobby and grow that hobby helps me to stay away from social media, and ultimately, protects my contentment level and peace. Whether it’s knitting, painting, gardening, bread-making, etc. A new hobby slows me down and engages my heart and hands.
Create a Weeknight Family Tradition
Choose one evening a week for something special – homemade pizza, board games, a movie night, etc. This takes the monotony of the week and gives it a special twist. It doesn’t have to be fancy — just consistent. My children know that Friday nights are movie night in our house, and they look forward to it every week!
Invest in a Nice Espresso Machine and Make Your Coffee at Home
Coffee doesn’t necessarily seem like it would tie into slow living, but in our house, it absolutely does. Early in our marriage, I had a serious (truly, serious) Starbucks addiction that had me driving to and from every single day. Not only was this not great for our family’s budget, but it also tied to me feeling like I had to go somewhere or run an errand to justify it every single day. Investing in a nice espresso machine and learning to make incredible at-home lattes is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!
I have a post here on our Breville and exactly how I make delicious homemade lattes.
Learn to Make Homemade Bread
While this could technically be lumped under starting a new hobby, I thought it deserved its own category. There’s something so grounding about the prepping of homemade bread for me – the kneading of the dough and the smells (don’t even get me started on the smells of homemade bread baking!) This simple act is not only therapeutic for me, but its a simple (and delicious) way that I can feel like I am loving and caring for my family.
Here’s my favorite easy, no-knead bread recipe.
Get Out in Nature Every Day
Rain or shine, I encourage you to make time for fresh air. Where its a short walk, playtime at the local park, or just stepping into your backyard can reconnect you with the natural world and support your mental health. I cannot stress this enough!
As a family, we started taking random afternoons to explore new trails, creeks, and parks nearby over the Spring/Summer/and Fall of last year. We discovered so many hidden gems near our home that we can escape to for a little time in nature. This is something we plan to continue every year as a family.
Delete Social Media from Your Phone or Move Icons to a Hidden Folder
Making social media less accessible is one of the best things I ever did for my mental health. If you are like me and do not want to (or cannot) delete social media altogether (I honestly enjoy the connection with friends so much) – moving it to the back of your phone and limiting screen time is a powerful tool to counteract constant connectivity and hustle culture.
Have a Candlelight Dinner as a Family Once a Week
Break out the nice dishes and set the table, light a candle, and make your usual dinner feel like a celebration. It’s a simple way to foster deeper connections and presence. One thing we do as a family every night is have each person ask a question about everyone’s day, and everyone takes a turn answering. For instance, “What was something funny that happened today?” It keeps our family engaged and our children talking and laughing.
Leave Some Weeknights with Absolutely Nothing Scheduled
Free evenings allow for rest and creativity. Leave a little room in your to-do list for spontaneity and slowness in an already busy life. In our home, we try to have no more than 2 weeknight commitments (again, this does not always happen because… life), but we sure try!
Create Tech-Free Hours at Home
Create hours that you simply do not have your phone on you. For instance, my husband and I try to have our phones put away from dinner time through our children’s bedtime. Creating tech-free hours is one of the best ways to truly experience peace with your family and engage in quality time, uninterrupted.
Cook One New, From-Scratch Meal (once a month)
I’d love to say you should try a new recipe every week, but I struggle with this! While we try to keep life moving slowly in our home, coming up with a fresh new recipe every week is a bit of a stretch for me. So for that reason, I encourage you to try a new recipe every month. This invites me to pause and engage my senses, and turns something that I do a bit on autopilot and makes it fun and intentional. We have found some of our favorite “family recipes” this way.
To make this extra special, visit your local farmer’s market on a Saturday morning and buy fresh, local ingredients to make the experience extra special. Let the kids help pick out the ingredients!
Create a Calming Nighttime Routine
Lower the lights, play soft music, and follow a familiar rhythm. We have a family reset after dinner where I have Alexa “play calming music” and as a family we do a quick clean up and dishes. This helps us to set the tone for peaceful evening.
Keep a Gratitude Journal
A gratitude journal truly helps brings perspective to our day-to-day. I lump this in with my morning quiet time, but it would also be a great bedtime routine.
The best advice I ever received for this is to not be afraid of sounding child-like in your gratefulness. If you’re grateful for the fresh baked cookies today, write it down! If you’re thankful that it was sunny and breezy today, write it down. Acknowledging the little ways that we are blessed is truly powerful in terms of our levels of contentment and joy.
Speak Gratitude Aloud
Let your children hear you express gratitude for the little things, i.e. “wow! I’m so grateful for the beautiful weather today!” This kind of outward processing does not come easily for me, but I’ve worked really hard to make this a habit – and to model for them how to do the very same. This is a cornerstone of slow living family habits and reinforces finding joy and peace in the ordinary, and even non-exciting things.
No Commitments Saturday
Block off a weekend day once a month with no social events, errands, or plans. It’s the perfect opportunity to rest, reconnect, maybe be a little bored, and enjoy a truly slow life.
These slow living family habits are not about perfection. This is about choosing presence over productivity, simplicity over excess, and joy over material possessions. And teaching our children to do the same.
I truly hope this list of slow living family habits aids in your own family’s journey!
Courtney
