7 Tips for Finding Quality Time With Your Family

Family is the ultimate support and solace for all of us.  Happy family moments help us to reduce the stress of our life. Family fun time induces happiness, tranquillity, balanced view of life, and supports us to stay focused in our professional life.

In the hustle and bustle of life, have you ever wondered if it was okay to push family time aside for all of your other responsibilities? How are we to know just how important family time is to a growing child? Does it affect their emotional well-being and development?

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that family time is very important to children and to adults. As humans, we crave interaction and it’s important in our relationships with each other to spend time as a family and to nurture a safe environment to call home.

1. Make family events a priority

If you are not a life-saving surgeon and currently on-call, then your work can likely wait. Most of us aren’t in the business of life-saving. That gives us some legitimate flexibility in our off-work time. You don’t need to be tied to work 24-7.

2. Create a Family Night

Creating a family night is simple and create memories to last a lifetime. Whether it’s a movie night, take-out night, game night, or a family walk night, the key is that a night each week is designated for together time. Relax…and talk with each other! You might be surprised by the things you learn from your family on your special night.

3. Exercise Together

Instead of heading to the gym or going for your morning run with your mom friends, make fitness time a family affair. Cut down on extracurricular sports for your kids, and instead think of fun ways for the whole family to be physically active together. You can play basketball and other sports against other families in the neighborhood. Play doubles tennis together every week or even train for a marathon together. Everyone needs to get more active anyway, so it’s a fabulous idea to stay healthy and fit as a family.

4. Have a weekly scheduled no phone time

This one is huge. No one wants to hang out with someone constantly on their phone. You’re not fully present in that moment if you’re busy scrolling. Set a timer, put your phone away and be 100% present with your family. Doing this is not only liberating but shows how dedicated you are to setting aside this specific time with family.

5. Be committed to regular family time

Making time for family shouldn’t just be reserved for birthdays and holidays. If those are your guidelines for defining family time, then you are missing out on the rest of the year.

Time with family should be a regular weekly commitment. If you want family ties and true family relationships, you need quantity time and not just quality time on rare occasions.

Showing up for birthdays and holidays is simply not enough to make meaningful connections and deep relationships (ask any kid who has been in a divorced situation and only sees one parent on those special occasions). The relationships lack depth if everything is always on the surface level.

In order to develop relationships below the surface, time must be invested. Making a commitment to things like dinner as a family several nights a week can make a huge impact on family relationships in the long run. If you can’t all be home for dinner, think about other options that don’t take long periods of time, such as half-hour family walks in the evening several days a week.

6. Use Your Vacation Time

Having an overflowing store of vacation time in your back pocket isn’t a badge of honor to wear around the workplace. It’s a warning sign!

When we work without breaks, stress begins to mount up. Even in our daily routine, the pressure and weight of work can creep up and wear us down in unexpected ways. When this happens, it’s easy for burnout, declining health, and foggy thinking to sneak into your life. The best way to prevent stress from taking its toll is to take a vacation.

Not only is vacationing great for rejuvenating our minds and bodies, but it’s also a great opportunity to bond with family. Family vacations create memories and experiences that last for a lifetime. When looking at your summer calendar, mark a few dates down where you can plan to be out of the office. Then, get your family together for activities that are relaxing, fun, and offer something for everyone to enjoy.

7. Help with Schoolwork

Want to light a fire of learning while spending time with your kids?  Help with their schoolwork. Your eager interest in the subject will encourage the same for your child.  Take trips to the library for school projects as an inexpensive and enjoyable family time. Remember that your child is ultimately responsible for the final product.  You’re there to help them get organized and to encourage them when they get stuck—not to do their work for them.