In this episode, I teach a lesson on how to give your family unhurried time. A garden grows well when someone spends time watering and cultivating it. Just like a garden, our family needs us to give our time and effort for it to be successful. There is no substitute for unhurried time with our loved ones.
Quality time means that when we are with one another we are 100% “there,” focused on family members’ needs and happiness. Quantity time means that we are with our families as often as we can be. This is a challenge sometimes, but when family relationships are truly our highest priority, time needs to be given to those relationships. There is no substitute for unhurried time with our loved ones.
Strong families enjoy being together, and they make the effort to plan activities to be with one another. Family time doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. The simplest activities often become the most memorable. Family time can be as simple as sharing a family joke or enjoying a favorite tradition, such as Saturday morning pancakes or a family walk on Sunday afternoons.
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This is Solutions for Families – where parents come with problems and leave with solutions. I’m Paula Fellingham – thank you for joining me!
Hello and welcome! Today’s episode is how to give your family unhurried time.
A garden grows well when someone spends time watering and cultivating it. Just like a garden, our family needs us to give our time and effort for it to be successful.
Although our jobs, school, and hobbies are important, our family should be the first priority in our lives. We should be willing to give our family both quality and quantity time.
Quality time means that when we are with one another we are 100% “there,” focused on family members’ needs and happiness. Quantity time means that we are with our families as often as we can be. This is a challenge sometimes, but when family relationships are truly our highest priority, time needs to be given to those relationships. There is no substitute for unhurried time with our loved ones.
Families are like teams--they work together to reach the same goals. Both parents and children have very important positions on the team and everyone is needed to make it work well. What happens to an athletic team when they don’t work together? Usually they don’t win. On the other hand, individual players on winning teams are committed to the success of the whole team. They give of themselves, they support and help one another, and they usually do it enthusiastically. Those are good ingredients for a family, also. As we commit our time and hearts to our family, we can reach our goals and “win” in the game of life.
When a person comes to the end of his life, would he reflect on his life saying, “I wish I would’ve spent more time in the office.” Relationships are built on time spent together. Time is precious. It is what lives are made of. Giving our time and hearts to our family shows our love for them.
Story
Little Kevin ran happily to greet his father when he came home from work. Cheerfully Kevin exclaimed, “Daddy, I’ve been waiting for you! I wanted you to come home and read this to me!” Kevin held his book up as high as he could, showing it to his father. John answered his son tiredly, “Yes, I’ll read the book to you after dinner.”
After dinner John received a telephone call and waved Kevin away with annoyance when Kevin reminded him about the book. After the little boy’s bath he found his Dad, who had just sat down to enjoy the evening newspaper. “Daddy, when you finish reading your paper, can you read my book to me?” “Sure, Kevin,” was John’s reply as he kept his eyes on the newspaper.
An hour later John remembered his promise to Kevin, and hurried up the stairs to his son’s room. John found the little boy, fast asleep, with tear-stained cheeks. Kevin’s unread book was lying open across his small chest.
For our activity, let’s each think of one thing we would really enjoy doing as a family. Now let’s make a list of all the fun activities our family would like to do.
Next, let’s decide on one family activity we will do soon. We’ll put it on the calendar and plan how to do it. All of us can help plan, and help with the preparations. Then let’s DO our family activity.
Strong families enjoy being together, and they make the effort to plan activities to be with one another. Family time doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. The simplest activities often become the most memorable. Family time can be as simple as sharing a family joke or enjoying a favorite tradition, such as Saturday morning pancakes or a family walk on Sunday afternoons.
Often when children are asked, “What makes a happy family?” they answer, “Doing things together!” It may seem so obvious that it gets overlooked, but doing things together as a family builds family unity.
Sometimes it’s difficult for family members to find the time for family togetherness with work, school, church, and community responsibilities. But the real test of our commitment to our family is the amount of time we spend together. We may have heard that it is quality, not quantity, time spent with children that is important. Since time is at a premium, it is important to spend family “quality time.” However, it’s also important to spend quantities of time in order to create close relationships with family members. Usually when family members spend time with one another they feel more comfortable sharing their deepest feelings.
Ask the following questions:
(Some things we can’t change. Concentrate on the things we can change.)
Ideas for maximizing time together:
∙ Eat at least one meal together, as a family, every day.
∙ Take up an exercise that can be shared with children.
∙ Work together on household chores rather than assigning separate tasks to each family member.
∙ Make community service something that will involve several family members, such as coaching a team or being a club leader.
∙ Turn off the television and play a game. If watching television, discuss the program together.
∙ Sit by children while they eat breakfast, even if parent skips breakfast.
∙ Develop the habit of chatting with one another while preparing or cleaning up meals.
Family vacations can be special times that secure family relationships, especially if everyone is involved in the planning and preparation. From planning the vacation to reliving it with pictures and mementos, a family vacation can be an opportunity to reinforce relationships with family members.
A few years from now as we reflect back on the good times with our families, the time we spent together will probably mean more than the remodeled room or new furniture we worked two jobs to be able to afford. Spending time with your family isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity.
Okay, my friends. Until the next episode, have a beautiful day and make sure you subscribe to my podcast, tell your friends about Solutions for Families, and come see me at paulafellingham.com. As always, I send you my love….
Here’s a quick question…Are you ready to have a more loving, peaceful family?With my 7 Step Parenting Course you can enjoy more love and peace in your home than perhaps you’ve ever dreamed of! If you’re ready for less contention and more kindness, this course is for you. AND, on paulafellingham.com you can sign up for my free parenting webinar where I share tips and solutions for families that really work! I’ll see you on the webinar!