Family Time Is Even More Important! 4 Things To Share With Your Kids

Kids these days are growing up in a different world. Social media and technology have become an integral part of their lives, keeping them well-connected to the rest of the world. But, with gadgets on hand and eyes always glued to a screen, they sometimes miss out on the simple pleasures and traditions that were part of your own growing-up years.

One of the biggest parenting challenges is raising kids with a balanced outlook in life—despite all the distractions from technology. One way to address this challenge is to look back at your own childhood and adapt the experiences that may help your kids stay grounded in the real world. These are five things you can introduce to your kids:

1. Celebrating birthdays Pinoy-style.

Family is very important in the Philippines. This is why every milestone in a person’s life is considered a cause for celebration.

If cake and ice cream aren’t possible, why not create a mini salu-salo out of the food you have at home? You only need to be creative with your kitchen staples. You can also resurrect fun Pinoy party games like newspaper dance, pabitin, and calamansi relay.

Keep in mind that kids don’t require elaborate menus or complicated games to enjoy a party. All they need is to be with their family, to eat good food, and to have fun while winning little trinkets!

2. Putting on a show.

Most of you grew up at a time when your parents asked you to sing, dance (or recite a poem) in front of relatives. Some may have dreaded it, but this rite of passage can be an excellent way to encourage self-confidence. If your kids need a little bit of help coming out of their shell, then start with an intimate group—just you and the hubby, for example.

Doing this helps kids develop their stage presence, which will come in handy later in life when they have presentations in school and at work, and encourages them to nurture their talents.

However, if your kids have no inclination to perform at all, find other talents that they can showcase. Share some samples of their drawings or stories if they’re more into expressing themselves on paper, for example.

3. Trying out fun indoor activities.

It’s sometimes hard to find a safe space for a rousing game of patintero. But there are plenty of other games that don’t require much room. Card games (bonus points if you can find Teks or Pogs), jackstones (the traditional or Chinese version), and pick-up sticks promise hours of screen-free fun.

Even a game of 10-20 or Chinese garter requires minimal space and can be played indoors. Indoor play is a good way for kids to develop their focus and, in the case of role-playing games like bahay-bahayan, imagination.

4. Having merienda as a family.

Food is the love language of Filipinos—most Pinoys find any excuse to come together for a salu-salo. Even an ordinary afternoon can be a chance to have a meal together: What better way to cap off an afternoon of play than with a filling merienda shared with family?

As the kids get all sweaty and rosy-cheeked from an afternoon playing indoors, set out yummy merienda favorites like Goldilocks Cake Slices, Mamon, Ensaymada, and Polvoron. Remember how these treats that your mom, lola, or even tita would bring as pasalubong made you look forward to afternoon snack time?

The most important thing about merienda time is to take advantage of this moment spent together to enrich your relationship with your kids. Sit down with them and listen to their stories, just like how your own parents did with you. Having an afternoon snack full of Goldilocks goodies with mom and dad can fill kids’ tummies as well as their memories.

Just like these truly Pinoy traditions, Goldilocks has been with every Pinoy through the years, a sweet part of everyday life and a way to stay in touch with Filipino values and the things that truly matter.

Goldilocks’ snack-time favorites come in various flavors that everyone in the family will enjoy.

Goldilocks offers Cake Slices in popular flavors like chocolate, chiffon, and butter, as well as fun ones like double dutch, marble, and mocha marble. For Mamon, Goldilocks has the classic favorite Fluffy Mamon, Caramel Pusong Mamon or caramel-filled, and the cheese-topped Special Fluffy Mamon.

If Ensaymada is more to your family’s taste, you can choose from (or all) flavors like the go-to Cheesy Ensaymada, Ube Ensaymada, and even Hamonado Ensaymada. The Pinoy-favorite Polvoron comes in all sorts of sweet versions, too: classic, cashew, ube, peanut, cookies n’ cream, and pinipig!

Follow Goldilocks on Facebook and Instagram to know more about these products that you grew up with and that your kids will surely enjoy.