My family is by far the most important aspect of my entire life, and thus spending time with them is equally important. I can say from experience that over the years as my career progressed time at home became less and less. So for the busy body here are some ideas to help squeeze in those extra minutes with your family.
Have a Family Plan: Just like in any business you need to have a plan and a schedule. At work I map out my entire week on day one, I know what I will be doing Friday on Monday. So at home you should do the same, except instead of scheduling a teleconference you should schedule a game night. Too often we rush through life so fast that we forget to stop and observe just how much we’ve changed over the years. It would be a shame that we were so busy that we couldn’t see just how much our children have grown. So make a plan that includes your family and stick to the plan. Family Night: As I said before spending time with my family is one of the most important things in my life. So, on our plan we have designated Friday nights as family night in our home, and nothing gets in the way of that. We will do everything in our power not to be late or miss a business meeting so our families shouldn’t be treated any different. Family night is where we get together and do whatever we want such as watch a movie, play games, or even have a sing off. It doesn’t matter what we are doing as long as we are having a good time and we are doing it together. Nature walks: Lots of us go to the extreme to stay in shape, we will get up early in the morning to go to the gym or we’ll go late in the evening. Either way you miss out on some valuable time with the family. I suggest you go on some nature walks with your family, not only is it important for you to get some exercise but it’s also important for the family. You will be amazed at how much your children will light up to the experience of the outdoors. Grocery shopping: I can hear a lot of parents screaming at me for this one but it’s actually not that bad. Depending on how old you children are it can be a doubled edged sword killing two birds with one stone. If your children are old enough to shop for specific items in the store turn them loose. You will get your grocery cart filled faster all the while instilling trust in your kids. My kids love going to the store with me, they know that I will probably give in and purchase them a snack so it’s a win-win for them as well. Long drives: This at first thought sounds like a nightmare for those with little children, however Let’s examine the facts. Most of the time when the kids are screaming in the back and you begin to get frustrated; you’re probably late for or headed to some predetermined destination. Having a predetermined destination will cause a little bit of anxiety as you do not want to ever be late. But what if you were just driving to be driving and had no particular place to go. There would be no anxiety, your children wouldn’t bother you as much and you might even enjoy a conversation with the entire family. We have found many new places to hang out at using this method, and it feels great when we find someplace that we all enjoy.