Upgrade Your Family Time, When Family Time is All You Have
Under normal circumstances, the usual progression of the day usually goes something like this: Wake up, eat breakfast, drop the kids off at school, go to work, kids travel home from school, get off work, cook dinner, eat, sleep, repeat. Monday through Friday, this routine allows families to schedule family time, it allows parents time to themselves as individuals and as couples, and it allows children to socially interact with their friends. It makes that family time precious. Now what happens when that family time became so frequent that work, school, eating, and alone time merge together?
Many families may be finding this time rather interesting (or difficult) to navigate. Your home may be feeling very close now that everyone is in the same space for extended periods of time. For some, your boundaries may be blurring and your schedule may be more lax.
Parents: let’s take a look at the ways you can help your entire family upgrade your family time, when family time is all you have!
Be intentional with your time and space.
Before, life might have had a smooth rhythm and routine with clear, outlined daily tasks. Parents had the office, children had their school, dinner had its table, family time had the living room, and everyone had their own space to wind down. Now, everyone is sharing space more frequently. Be intentional about how you spend your time and where you spend it. Try to dedicate rooms to certain activities at certain times.
Dedicate a space and time for each person in your house to work.
Parents, perhaps you share your home office with one or more of your kids during certain times of the day. Or perhaps you create a dedicated “work” space in your kids’ rooms such as clearing out a large closet or finally boxing up some of those old trophies and making room on a desk. In shared spaces, create a calendar of who will use the space when.
Decide as a family if work is allowed in shared spaces, and then stick to your decision.
During this time, it is common for families to be battling over shared space. One child may want to eat lunch when their sibling is doing “school” at a shared table, or someone else may want quiet when trying to work in the family room. To avoid these conflicts, talk about shared rooms. Have a family huddle and decide which spaces are off-limits for work so that your family has safe spaces to relax.
Build “alone time” into everyone’s day, including yours.
When COVID was not affecting your life, you found opportunities to create time for yourself. You may have enjoyed the time to think during your commute or having time to yourself during an evening grocery store run. Don’t forget about your alone time! Be creative and create ways to get it within the new limits. Time to recharge yourself and reflect on the day is an important piece of wellness. Have open and honest discussions with your loved ones so that everyone can come together to create solutions, giving the entire home unity and strength.
Create new traditions
During a time when vacations, holidays, birthdays and other traditions may be spent separated or celebrated online, take advantage of the opportunity to create new traditions as a family. You can plan a new vacation, try a new activity as a family, or play a new game that might become the new family favorite. Together, imagine going somewhere new and what you would do there. It’s all about having fun visualizing and planning!
Allow your kids to help out with work or chores.
It may sound corny, but allowing your children to help you around the house will bring your child cherished feelings of contentment and purpose. Children often seek time with their parents to learn about what they do. After all, a lot of five- year old’s want to be mommy or daddy when they grow up. When you do chores together, you can connect and contribute while keeping your children entertained. Plus, it’s a perk to have your own personal assistant!
Plan a family outing
Sure, the department store is closed, but nature isn’t. Fresh air, exercise, and quality family time are all great rewards. It’s important to change the scenery, turn off the screens, and just talk. It can also be a time to reminisce on funny family memories of the past. Additionally, exercise causes the brain to release the “happy hormone” dopamine, which elevates mood and reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression. It’s a win-win!
Allow the kiddos to plan the day.
As parent, we may feel that we are constantly, planning, scheduling, and assisting our children in their daily activities. Try turning the tables for a change and let the kids take over! Something as small as picking what to do during free time, to something more challenging such as planning the family dinner, are all ways to give your child autonomy. Let your children get creative and take the lead. Then you can put your feet up and have fun watching your kids enjoy making decisions.
Family time is crucial in finding unity, strength, and forming long lasting bonds with the people we love. The family time of a couple of weeks ago has been redefined temporarily. Use this opportunity to make positive memories with your loved ones. As family time is pretty much all we have right now, take advantage and make it your own!