The next time your spouse nags at you because you haven’t had time for the family of late, you should probably take the complaining a little bit more serious.
It’s cool to work hard for the family, to earn some bucks to meet the needs of the family; but is that really an excuse for not sparing some time for family?
Let me show you some reasons you should really do:
Stop loneliness
Some children tend to be attached to a particular parent more than the other. Peradventure the parent fails in finding the time to pay attention to that child; loneliness is inevitable.
Six years of research by the University of California shows that older people who lived an anti-social lifestyle are more prone to death.
In order words; loneliness leads to death. And of course, no one wants a family member dead.
Builds self-esteem
Children give attention to whatever they come across; whether it be the latest fashion trend or a particular click of friends. Peradventure if they fail to fit in, they become downcast and develop low self-esteem. Having a guardian who values and gives them attention would be a huge step to building and maintaining high self-esteem. Also, kids with high self-esteem end up building sustainable interpersonal relationships.
Create memories
We all have that one album that contains all the pictures we spent with our loved ones and family. You shouldn’t let your children miss the fun part of being a kid.
Take a break off work; go skating, go to the pitch, learn instruments and sing at home. Remember to take pictures. Ohhhh… chill a bit. You really can’t find time to go outside the house?
Try indoor games. Perhaps indoor table tennis or bowling. Again, you have to put into consideration to equipment for indoor games. For instance, how long is a bowling lane?
Probably 60 feet long. You should look that up. Like I said, take a lot of pictures- they would come in handy in the future.
Develop positive behaviors in your kids
Your kids see you as a role model. But of what use would a role models be if you rarely see them. So make time for your children so as to create a model of how they should live their lives.
Let’s go a little bit scientific. According to studies done by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse via Arizona State University, kids who have family dinners are less likely to be stuck with tobacco and marijuana.
Form Close Ties
Your kids want someone that they can talk to; someone they can vibe with. But if you aren’t around to be an ear, who else would they talk to? Who else would they confide in?
I read a story of a mother who wasn’t really close to her children. Each day after school, she made cookies and placed them on the dining table.
At first, they did not eat the cookies. But as time progressed, they stopped to have a bite and then sat down to have a cup of tea. Slowly, she began having meaningful conversations with her children. Ties began developing, bonds started forming.
Wrapping Up
Even the little things you do matter when it comes to developing good relationships with your family. Consider doing exercises with your family, or any other activity that facilitates bonding.
However, if you’d be too busy, try to chip in a text. Whatever you do, realize that you’re laying a foundation for the kind of family you’d love to have.
