At the start of a new year, many are reflecting on the previous year and looking toward what the new year will hold. If there is one thing many hope to have, it is “time”—time to do the things we didn’t get to do in the previous year, more time with family and friends, or time doing things we love. How can we make the “time” we have count? One important thing to remember is that when it comes to time, it is the “quality” not the “quantity” of time that counts. When it comes to family, especially our children, how can we make the most of our time?
While raising children and balancing careers, it can be difficult to spend the time that we want to with family. If we rethink the way we view our time, we can in fact make it count. If we take opportunities that are already part of our daily routine and be intentional, we can fulfill some of those things that we would like to accomplish. One example is to use your car ride to talk to your kids, sing songs, or practice looking for letters or numbers as you drive along. Depending upon the age of your child(ren), you can tailor what you do to their age or interests. Even simple conversations can help make your emotional connection stronger and help you both feel more connected.
Advice from Amy McCready of Positive Parenting Solutions says, “The most important thing is emotional connection, giving your child one-on-one attention.” Our everyday tasks and lifestyle can provide ways to get the quality of time we desire, even if we don’t have the quantity. Besides using your car ride, you can also incorporate ways to involve your children in the tasks that you need to get done in a day. Folding laundry together or sorting silverware into a drawer can allow you to get things done while spending time with your child. These are skills that can help enhance your child’s development. Any time you are giving your child(ren) one-on-one attention, you are creating that emotional bond and connection.
This can also improve behaviors in children, which improves the time you have in quality because you have fewer discipline issues.
Busy schedules can often make a dinner routine difficult. The important thing is to figure out what will work for your family and make the most of the time when a family dinner is possible. Family dinner is an important time for everyone to come together and connect. Even if it is a short time when everyone is around the table, try to plan time when this is possible.
Bedtime is another time when you can make the most of a daily routine. Using bedtime to talk about the day—even if your child is very young and doesn’t have much language—you can do the talking, singing, reading, or praying with your child and create a bond and connection. Closing out the day together, even if it is short, is an excellent way to create quality in the time you do have at the end of a day.
If we can be intentional and think about the time in our days that we do have to create memories and valuable connections, we can use the time we have in a way that will make it “quality,” even if we don’t have the “quantity” that we desire.