Medium |

If you’re prepared to make some bigger changes, try out some of these medium-sized steps on the way to a slower life:

Cut one activity from your child’s schedule. Stay home and play together, instead.
Go for a walk every morning.
Knit, crochet, or do needlepoint. Kids, too. Even boys are learning to knit.
Take up acrylic or oil painting.
Go fishing.
Reheat leftovers on the stove instead of the microwave.
Establish an after-dinner ritual that keeps you lingering at the table. Read. Talk. Play a game. Drink hot chocolate or a smoothie.
List ten goals for yourself and your family. Prioritize 1 through 10. Cross off the bottom six and focus on what remains.
Scrapbook as a family. Remember when…
Schedule a weekly game night. “Chutes and Ladders,” anyone? “Apples to Apples”?
Stroll through an art museum. Stare at a sculpture. Read all the signs.
Repeat after me: “I’m sorry, but I’m not able to help with that at this time.”
Before agreeing to something, check with the rest of the family. Compare schedules. Say no if there are conflicts.
Organize your schedule so that you eat dinner at home most nights.
Eliminate all fast food.
Take off your watch. Live one day–maybe a Sunday–without watching the clock.
Why let yourself be instantly accessible, 24/7? Let calls go to VM on your cell phone.
No big destination for your next vacation; just rent a little cabin or go camping. Hike. Play games. Write stories. Read. Swim.
Camp overnight in a park or even just the back yard.
Cancel two activities next week.
Simplify your home (and minimize stress) by decluttering and organizing your space.
Reduce the crazies the night before a busy day by setting out everything and loading the car.
Choose one season to forgo all after-school activities.