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Keeping it simple: Families enjoy spending "deliberately good quality time" at This Side Up
Photo courtesy of This Side Up – Collins Lewis and his family have made the events at This Side Up in Plano a favorite past time. Located at 1100 Capital Ave., the family recreation and education center focuses on creating simple, clean, fun activities encouraging families to reconnect and get away from their busy day-to-day schedules.
By Kelley Chambers, kchambers@starlocalnews.com, @KelleyChambers7 on Twitter
When a friend invited Plano dad Wilten Haynes and his family to bingo night at This Side Up Family Center, his initial reaction was less than excited.
After seeing how much fun his three children had, however, now he can't stop talking about it.
"I was thinking, 'Oh poke me in the eye with a stick.' There is nothing that sounds anything remotely attractive to playing bingo at an event center," said Haynes. "But I went and my kids absolutely loved it. It's turned into an amazing thing for our family."
The Haynes' story is not all that uncommon, founding director Sarah Morris said.
"Even though we do tons of stuff, that's where we get the most powerful family strengthening stories from," she said. "Bingo alone seems to excite people. People can play that all night, especially kids."
Having just celebrated its second anniversary last month, This Side Up prides itself on being the only center in Collin County aimed solely at strengthening the family unit through events, education and on-site counseling. Each month offers a new set of events structured to foster fun and purposeful family time.
The group also holds monthly "date your spouse" nights that give parents an opportunity to spend quality time with each other, complete with a free meal at a local restaurant and cheap child care at the center. There are also single parent support groups and other educational resources available through the center as well.
In terms of entertainment, This Side Up hosts "Saturday Night Thrive" on the fourth Saturday of each month, which coincides with the center's monthly theme. This month's theme is on communication and will feature a family-friendly comedy show on March 23.
"Those nights just remind people of what's important and maybe what was missing, and it gives them a free opportunity to figure that out," Morris said.
In addition to serving as quality time within fast-paced calendars, the activities at This Side Up also help parents hone in on and sharpen their parenting skills, Haynes said.
"There's no school for parenting. I'm better with computers than I am with my own kids in many ways," he said. "When you're working together as family, you see you can overcome stuff."
The time set aside also allows parents to give their children that undivided attention they so desperately want from their parents, he added.
"When you put that time aside, it's like your dating someone. It opens communication. You get that chance to reconnect with your kid," Haynes said. "Once I got past the initial hesitancy I found it was an amazing concept, and I think it's something desperately needed all over the country."
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