In one respect, we feel that we are doing everything to provide for our children. Whether it’s preparing healthy food, putting a roof over their heads, and giving them everything they could possibly want, is this overcompensating for something we cannot give them? It’s the modern parental epidemic, that we have to work so much so our children don’t really get the opportunity to see the best side of us, or even spend any time with us during the course of a week. So when you are so busy, how can you spend time with your kids when it seems like there is little chance? After all, they’ve got to go to school, you’ve got a job to do, and the planets never seem to align.
Schedule Something Fun
The big problem that can occur when we set aside time to hang out with our children is that it’s a gap in the calendar, and we’re not doing anything terribly productive. As such, we may spend time thinking away, worrying about something else, when we should be focusing on our children. Scheduling something fun that you can both enjoy is crucial. But it also gives you both something to look forward to. You could join a boat club and go for exciting trips on the water, or you could go to play crazy golf, and get that bit of friendly rivalry in. Try not to let the event overshadow the time you spend together. It should be about that bonding experience. So you could do something that you both like, rather than you trying to fake an interest in something that they like.
Doing The House Duties Together
When you have chores around the house, it might seem easier to do it by yourself, but what if your child wants to spend time with you, why don’t you share the burden? It doesn’t have to be boring if you can find other ways to make the most out of it. It might be a cliche thing but if you can listen to music together or even talk, it gives you the chance to do something together, bonding, and as a plus, you are getting the housework done! When they were young and they wanted to help with the vacuuming, did you find that they just got in the way? But the fact is they only wanted to help, so if you have children young enough that want to help, but you feel you need to do the house duties, even though it may take a little bit longer, you are still spending time with them!
Let Them Stay Up A Little Bit Later
This is very shaky ground depending on their age but when you are so busy and you don’t get home until it’s time for their bedtime, is there a way for them to stay up a little bit later? Perhaps it could be a Friday night treats where you get some popcorn, a movie, and you cuddle up on the couch together? Or on the other hand, if it really messes with their routine, what’s wrong with having them jump into your bed on a Saturday morning? You can put something on the TV and spend some good time hanging out. We have to remember that it’s not always about the quantity of time, but the quality time. And yes we can feel guilty if we take them to school and not see them until that evening. But they have their own lives to lead as well.
When we want to hang out with our kids, but things get in the way, we’ve got to address if there’s an imbalance in our lives somewhere. In one respect it can seem like the modern epidemic that nobody has time to do anything but if you don’t hang out with your children, then how are you going to form that bond? It’s important to do it when they are young, but at the same time, we have to earn money. And it can feel like you are prioritizing one thing over the other. But if you think about quality time over quantity time, then you can begin to tackle the issue head-on. We feel guilty that we don’t spend enough time with them. But what as everybody is so busy, we have got to make those little moments last. Even if it is 10 minutes in the morning, hanging out with each other and focusing on that quality time is what you will both remember decades from now.