When people are questioned as to what is most important for them - family or work, most of them will respond saying that family is their top priority and everything else is secondary. But their actions seem to betray their words!
Even though most people claim to love their families more than themselves, they seem to spend more time at their workplace and with their work associates than with people they claim to love the most.
Now this does not mean that you should compromise with your career and spend most of your time with your family only. After all, providing for your family and their needs is also important! Besides, enjoying your work as well as the satisfaction that you get out of a successful career is something else!
And only a happy, and satisfied person can truly keep his / her family happy. Now balancing time at work and time with family can be very tricky as you have to give equal precedence to both. However, it's the quality of time that you spend that matters, not the quantity!
Your kids will be small only for a short period of time; so this is the time to enjoy with them, bond with them and build a strong relationship with them. If you don't make an effort to reach out to them when they are little, once they reach a certain age, even if you try to get close to them, they'll find it difficult to respond to your overtures.
Learn to enjoy simple pleasures as a family. Eat meals together as a family and if this is not possible always, at least try and eat one meal together. The phrase "A family that dines together stays together" holds true for all times.
Schedule one day in a week as "family day". Spend the whole day together, doing whatever interesting things you want. Do not let television, laptop, tablet or smart phone come between you and your family.
Declutter and organize, cook your favourite dish or a kid's favourite one, play indoor games like chess, carom, ludo etc, redecorate their rooms or even engage yourself with outdoor activities like gardening, walking, exercising, swimming or even play an outdoor game with your kids.
Kids love to imitate their parents and kids will actually love to help you around and will tag around you all the while. All of you will enjoy this "family day" thoroughly, thus building pleasant memories for you all to remember in future.
Eating food together, sharing events of the day with one another, sharing one's joys and disappointments, doing chores together - all these help to build a strong family bond and is good for our mental health as well
Research shows that it leads to better functioning, a stronger immune system, better physiology, higher academic marks, a sense of well-being and contentment – and it prevents mental and physical ill-health in later life.
Children should also be encouraged to play imaginative games as it plays an important role in the child's development. Studies have shown that imaginative play can foster important social qualities, such a co-operation, empathy, and appreciation of others’ feelings.
In a 2013 study on “Pretend and Physical Play”, psychologists Eric Lindsay and Malinda Colwell observed that children who engage in imaginative play express more emotional engagement, thoughtfulness and understanding, and less negative emotional expression such as selfishness and anger, and score higher on tests of emotional regulation and understanding. [Source]
Taking breaks for work and going for vacations every now and then is found to boost cardiovascular health, mental health and overall well-being of a person. Read more about it in the post Slow down for the sake of your health.
Studies suggest that the British have some of the longest working hours in Europe. So it makes sense that they should go on a pleasure trip every now and then to rejuvenate themselves.
If money is a constraint, fret not! You can give your family some of the best times they have ever had without spending exorbitant amounts on exotic holidays.
Whether you are looking for a cheap family day out, fun board games to argue over, family discounts such as discount train fares, there are latest family deals, discounts and voucher codes to help you out.
When you are on a vacation, refrain from all office related work, do not accept work-related calls, surf the net or check social media . It's even better if you avoid digital devices totally and go for a digital detox during that period.
Just forget all about your projects, assignments and business pressure for your family. You can always attend to it once you get back. Remember that holiday time is not your regular day, but your special time with your beloved family and loved ones. Make sure you do full justice to it. Have loads of fun and enjoy!
Do you go for family outings or vacations for a few times in a year? What else do you do to bond with your family? Do share your views in the comments.
Even though most people claim to love their families more than themselves, they seem to spend more time at their workplace and with their work associates than with people they claim to love the most.
Now this does not mean that you should compromise with your career and spend most of your time with your family only. After all, providing for your family and their needs is also important! Besides, enjoying your work as well as the satisfaction that you get out of a successful career is something else!
And only a happy, and satisfied person can truly keep his / her family happy. Now balancing time at work and time with family can be very tricky as you have to give equal precedence to both. However, it's the quality of time that you spend that matters, not the quantity!
Spending quality time is important!
Spending quality time with your family is absolutely essential for developing a strong family bond. Sitting in the same room with your children and spouse but completely engrossed in your smart phone or lazing around in front of the TV for hours together with absolutely no interaction with each other is not spending quality time with one's family.Your kids will be small only for a short period of time; so this is the time to enjoy with them, bond with them and build a strong relationship with them. If you don't make an effort to reach out to them when they are little, once they reach a certain age, even if you try to get close to them, they'll find it difficult to respond to your overtures.
Learn to enjoy simple pleasures as a family. Eat meals together as a family and if this is not possible always, at least try and eat one meal together. The phrase "A family that dines together stays together" holds true for all times.
Schedule one day in a week as "family day". Spend the whole day together, doing whatever interesting things you want. Do not let television, laptop, tablet or smart phone come between you and your family.
Declutter and organize, cook your favourite dish or a kid's favourite one, play indoor games like chess, carom, ludo etc, redecorate their rooms or even engage yourself with outdoor activities like gardening, walking, exercising, swimming or even play an outdoor game with your kids.
Kids love to imitate their parents and kids will actually love to help you around and will tag around you all the while. All of you will enjoy this "family day" thoroughly, thus building pleasant memories for you all to remember in future.
Eating food together, sharing events of the day with one another, sharing one's joys and disappointments, doing chores together - all these help to build a strong family bond and is good for our mental health as well
Family bonding is good for children's development.
Dr Margot Sunderland, a child psychologist says that the above mentioned activities release the brain’s bonding and attachment chemicals, namely opioids and oxytocin, which are also anti-anxiety and anti-aggression molecules.Research shows that it leads to better functioning, a stronger immune system, better physiology, higher academic marks, a sense of well-being and contentment – and it prevents mental and physical ill-health in later life.
Children should also be encouraged to play imaginative games as it plays an important role in the child's development. Studies have shown that imaginative play can foster important social qualities, such a co-operation, empathy, and appreciation of others’ feelings.
In a 2013 study on “Pretend and Physical Play”, psychologists Eric Lindsay and Malinda Colwell observed that children who engage in imaginative play express more emotional engagement, thoughtfulness and understanding, and less negative emotional expression such as selfishness and anger, and score higher on tests of emotional regulation and understanding. [Source]
Plan a vacation with your family
Go for outings and vacations with your family a few times in a year. Travel is one of the ways to foster better family relationship and closeness and have loads of fun. It's also a great way to cherish memories for the years ahead.Taking breaks for work and going for vacations every now and then is found to boost cardiovascular health, mental health and overall well-being of a person. Read more about it in the post Slow down for the sake of your health.
Studies suggest that the British have some of the longest working hours in Europe. So it makes sense that they should go on a pleasure trip every now and then to rejuvenate themselves.
If money is a constraint, fret not! You can give your family some of the best times they have ever had without spending exorbitant amounts on exotic holidays.
Whether you are looking for a cheap family day out, fun board games to argue over, family discounts such as discount train fares, there are latest family deals, discounts and voucher codes to help you out.
When you are on a vacation, refrain from all office related work, do not accept work-related calls, surf the net or check social media . It's even better if you avoid digital devices totally and go for a digital detox during that period.
Just forget all about your projects, assignments and business pressure for your family. You can always attend to it once you get back. Remember that holiday time is not your regular day, but your special time with your beloved family and loved ones. Make sure you do full justice to it. Have loads of fun and enjoy!
Final Note
So do you make an effort to spend time with your family? Which other tips have you tried out to spend quality, productive time with your family? Do you involve your kids in household chores and do you play games with them?Do you go for family outings or vacations for a few times in a year? What else do you do to bond with your family? Do share your views in the comments.
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