Making Time for Your Family

Most people agree that their relationships with their spouse/partner and children are what make life satisfying and meaningful. It’s easy to feel like you don’t have enough time in a busy week to spend relaxing with your partner and children. However, the most important relationships in your life deserve your time and attention.

If work and other responsibilities are slicing into the time you spend with your family, it may be time to reevaluate your priorities, re-examine your values and put more balance into your life. Remember, even small blocks of time together can make a big difference in the quality of your relationships.

SPENDING TIME WITH YOUR SPOUSE/PARTNER

In a two-parent family, your relationship with your partner is the framework for the family structure.

Intimacy is what makes this framework strong. Spend at least an hour of private time with your partner every day, no matter how busy you are with work and parenting responsibilities.

Even if you don’t have time for romance, this is a good time to talk about feelings and share news of the day. If you have something difficult to talk about, approach your partner when you’re both relaxed.

Avoid bringing up challenging situations right when you or your partner walks in the door after a hard day at work. Respect their need for personal time, as well as togetherness. You’d be surprised how a little private time together in a new environment can enrich your relationship and give you both a new perspective on your busy lives.

YOU MIGHT FIND IT HELPFUL TO TRY THESE RELATIONSHIP TIPS

• Get out your calendar and make a date with your partner for the first free evening you can find. Plan to do something you haven’t done in a while.

• Make dates each month so you have something special to look forward to.

• Add a bit of spontaneity to your lives by surprising your partner with reservations at a favorite restaurant or a fun night out.

SPEND TIME WITH YOUR CHILDREN

Children derive their sense of self-esteem from their relationship with their parents. They depend on their parents to set limits for their behavior, and to be role models for expressing their feelings and behaving responsibly.

Healthy communication builds self-esteem: a child who can depend on the consistent, loving attention of a parent feels cared for, important and safe. One of the great joys of parenting is discovering and nurturing your child’s personality, skills, and passions.

Plan time together to find out what makes your child happy. This also will give your child an opportunity to know you better. When you’re together, make simple listening and talking a priority. Try to forget about goals; the point of togetherness is to discover and appreciate each other, not necessarily to create the perfect craft project or to skate around the block.

No matter how busy you are, your children need your undivided time and attention on a regular basis.

STRIVE TO

• Spend your first 15 minutes at home listening to your children.

• Mark on the calendar part of each weekend for some private time with each child to do
something you both enjoy.

• Take each of your children to breakfast or lunch once a month. This allows for solid one-on-one communication.

• Although you may feel too tired to toss a football around the backyard at the end of the day, you can connect with your children by playing quiet games or asking them to tell you about their day.

• Enjoy the intimacy of your children’s’ nighttime rituals. Use bedtime to cuddle up and share a favorite book.

SPEND TIME AS A FAMILY

Make the most of family time by scheduling regular family meetings to assign chores and discuss family goals and problems. This is an excellent way to involve children in problem solving, such as deciding how to spend a summer vacation, figuring out how to keep the living room neater or choosing a weekly dinner menu.

You can make family errands more fun by bringing the children along, and topping off your expeditions with a stop for ice cream. Older children can help cut shopping time by taking part of the shopping list and meeting you at the cash register.

Make meal times more pleasurable by turning off the television and focusing on conversation. Use this time to catch up on the day’s events and reconnect with each family member.

Take advantage of leisure time to get to know your children outside the normal time pressures of school and work schedules.

Plan family vacations, weekend outings and other recreational activities that everyone can enjoy together.

Plan to have dinner as a family. Research shows that there is a positive correlation between families sitting and having dinner together at least four times a week, and a child’s positive self-esteem and development.

The fun of having a good time together or the thrill of a shared adventure creates family memories you can all enjoy for many years to come.

Source: Parlay International

Photo from The Printshop

The information in this article is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient provider relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.

Please consult your health care provider for an appointment, before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition.

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Linda Ziac is the owner and founder of The Caregiver Resource Center. Linda founded her company in October 1990, and provides concierge case management and advocacy services for seniors, people with special needs and families.

Linda’s professional career spans 39 years in the health and mental health field as a CT Licensed Professional Counselor, CT Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Board Certified Case Manager, and Board Certified Dementia Practitioner.

Linda’s role is to work with the client, their family and healthcare professionals to help assess, plan for and implement ways to allow for their greatest degree of health, safety, independence, and quality of life. We are often asked to help when a person is taken to the ER, is in the hospital, or there is a need to help assess and implement a plan to address a person’s day to day needs.

This process involves identifying a client’s abilities and needs, and helping to design a care plan (road map) that is composed of a spectrum of services, that best meets the unique needs of that particular client. A client and their family select the services that they want, and they only pay for those services.

http://www.CaregiverResourceCenter.com