Are you a working parent trying to balance your career, family, friends, and health?
All of the different facets of our life can feel overwhelming at times.
Family is often one of the first things to take a hit. We instinctively think, “family will always be there for me.” While this is true for the most part, you still need to foster those relationships with your family members in order to find fulfillment in this area of your life.
Family can be one of the brightest parts of your life if you devote the proper amount of time to it.
So what can you do to spend more time with your family to grow these important and fulfilling relationships?
- Wake up 15 minutes earlier.
Even 15 minutes in the morning can make a huge impact on your day. You can use that extra fifteen minutes for yourself, so the rest of the morning is available to talk to your kids over breakfast or discuss vacation plans with your significant other.
Taking just fifteen minutes in the morning can help you be less stressed and frantic, which will make you more present for your family in the mornings.
- Take up a family hobby.
What is something that everyone in your family enjoys doing? Maybe you’re a puzzle family. Maybe you love spending time at the local park.
It doesn’t matter what you’re doing as long as you’re doing it together. Find something that everyone enjoys, so you look forward to this time spent together.
For example, my family loves to go hiking together. We try to go on a local hike at least once a month to get some fresh air and catch up on each other’s hectic lives!
At Tree of Life, we recommend choosing something active as a family hobby. This can count as your daily exercise too. Not only is physical activity important for your health—it’s also a great bonding experience!
- Have a weekly family night.
Choose one night that is always “family night.” Schedule something fun to do that everyone in the family likes. Maybe Thursday nights are “bad comedy movie nights” or Saturday mornings are “pancake Saturdays.”
Choose a day, an activity, and a fun nickname. This creates a set time to be together by scheduling it in the calendar as an “event.”
If weekly seems a bit ambitious for your busy family, make it monthly. The frequency doesn’t matter as much as the consistency. Consistently spending time together doing something you all love creates a long-lasting bond.
Family night becomes something you can all look forward to because you know you’ll get to spend that time together.
- Rally behind a cause.
There is nothing better for self-awareness and relationship building than coming together to serving others. Find a cause that everyone in the family can feel passionate about. This can give you all something to rally behind and promote together.
It’s also a great idea to go out as a family and serve your time. Whether it’s serving at a local food bank or just helping an elderly neighbor rake their leaves, spending time together with the purpose of helping others is a great way to promote long term bonding. You’ll create amazing memories—while doing some good in your community!
- Put family on the to-do list.
Sometimes it’s as simple as putting your family on your to-do list. Of course, family isn’t something you should “check off.” However, putting “family” on your to-do list can act as reminder to spend some of your time focused solely on your family.
When you have a task on your to-do list, you put your entire focus on that task in order to get it done. The same should be true with your kids and significant other. When it’s family time, all other distractions and “to-do tasks” should be put to the side. Focus on the “task” at hand—spending time with the ones you love.
Focus on family. Stop multitasking. This presence will make your time with your family more valuable.
Conclusion
Spending more time with your family can be good for your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. Family time helps promote your relationships on a deeper level that will create memories and bonds that will last for years to come.
How do you make time to spend with your family?
Share this article with your family and choose an activity to try together!