In many families, the day looks similar: a morning steeplechase, during which we prepare to go out, constantly running out of time to arrive before the bell. Then work, a few hours of stress, tension and finally back home – and there… “a second job”. Life in a constant rush and the desire to reconcile everything are not conducive to building family ties and tightening relationships. Check what to do to change it!
Every day, this type of scenario is experienced by many parents who, at the same time, worry that they do not have the time, strength and idea how to spend time with their children. Studies conducted by the Department of Pedagogy of the WSB University in Dąbrowa Górnicza and Mazowieckie Centrum Profilaktyki Uzależnień on pupils from Silesia and Mazovia show what their life after school looks like. The results are alarming. Less and less parents have time for their children. Almost 70% of school-aged children are not hugged by their parents. Half of them do not eat Sunday lunches together and almost every third child does not spend evenings with their parents because parents return from work too late, reports “Rzeczpospolita”. Exhausting work is one of the main reasons for this situation. If you want to spend more time with your family, try to find additional opportunities to do so. If you strive for it and together with your children include it in your plans – it will become possible.
Here are some tips on how to spend more time with your family:
1. Analyse your day and set priorities
Do you spend as much time as you want with your family? If not, make a list of the most laborious activities. A few minutes with a calendar in your hand is enough to analyse what activities you can give up or limit the time for their performance. Spend the time saved this way with your children and family. If you go shopping every other day, are stuck in traffic jams and it takes you a lot of unnecessarily lost time – check if you can do online shopping. There are plenty of supermarkets offering online shopping with home delivery and the cost of such a service is not much higher than doing it in person. Especially if you buy necessities, such as spring water, in the shop every day.
2. One meal together a day
During the crazy pace of life and fast meals, it is important that you find at least one moment to stop. A meal together can be such a moment. Plan your time so that you can prepare and have at least one meal a day with your family. It can be a nice, unhurried breakfast together (if you go to bed early enough the day before) or dinner. Let it be a time to sit at the table and talk about everyday and unusual topics. Share experiences and ideas. Push away bad emotions accumulated at work and try to talk about nice and supportive topics with your children.
3. Plan your time together
When we ask children what makes a happy family, the most common answer is: doing things together! While this is obvious, it is often overlooked or missed. It is worth planning common activities and it does not have to be something extraordinary. Baking a cake together, taking a bike trip, planting a tree in a nearby park or even cleaning together – will make this time a time spent together – necessarily in a nice and loving atmosphere.
4. Limit the time you and your children spend on the computer and electronic gadgets
Avoid wasting valuable time doing activities alone, such as playing a computer game or sitting in front of the TV. Set rules to help eliminate immoderate use of a computer, tablet and TV. Watch with your children programmes that are either funny or valuable and with which you will spend your time effectively, not passively.
5. Limit taking children to extracurricular activities or spend this time with them
Do you take your kids to training? Find a sport that you can do as a family – there are plenty of them: capoeira, football, martial arts, swimming. Do you jog? Take your child with you! Spend time with your children by taking part in their activities whenever the opportunity arises. This will be a signal to children that what they do is important to their parents. Use the time of commuting to classes to talk.
6. Help your children with homework
Help your children plan and organise their school affairs – so that the accumulated homework does not make them feel overwhelmed. Parents who take the time to help their children, make it easier for them to cope with this pressure. This way, children learn to trust and respect their parents, and parents have the opportunity to pass on their values to children.
Good family relationships are more important than being successful at work or in any other area of life. In addition, they significantly reduces stress, add endorphins and positive stimuli, which has a positive effect on your own health and the health of your family.
