Finding ways to break up the monotony of a week can do wonders for your relationship with your kids. Fortune Dushey, the mom blogger behind Fortune Inspired, will surprise each of her kids from time to time by picking them up from school early and taking them on an educational outing (a cooking class or visiting the Empire State Building, for example). Above all, her secret to bonding is "being actively engaged with the kids rather than observing from the sidelines," she says.