A list of ways to ensure more quality time spent with your loved ones.
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
In Singapore, where there is a huge emphasis is placed on work and productivity, it is no surprise that finding the time to spend with your loved ones can be challenging sometimes. You may be too tired for any sort of activities after work, and your child may be exhausted from school as well. When this happens, how can you, as a parent, allocate enough time for your kid, all while balancing your work life simultaneously?
Since the June holidays are here, this would be a perfect time to try out a few different ways and find which works for you and your child. Here is a list of simple and effective ways to be able to spend more time with your child.
1. Establish Priorities
Identify what matters most to you and your family. Depending on the situation, is it possible to postpone your work to spend time with your family instead? Or is there a tight deadline for your work? Deciding which is more important to you at that point of time can make it much easier to make a decision between spending time with your child and your work.
2. Create a schedule
Plan your time well, and allocate enough time for family activities. Using a shared calendar can help sync timings with your partner and kids.
3. Quality Over Quantity
Focus on the quality of time spent with your child instead of the number of hours spent with them.
By doing so, both you and your child will be equally involved in the activities chosen and a comfortable environment is created for your child to freely express themselves in front of you. This would be a great chance to listen to their feelings and requests for guidance, deepening the bond between the both of you.
4. Make use of tech
In inevitable cases where you can’t be physically present, make use of technology such as texts and calls to ensure there is still some form of communication between you and your child.
5. Carry out daily tasks with your child
Simple everyday tasks such as cooking and cleaning can be a good way to spend more time with your child if it is difficult to make time for activities. By involving your child in daily tasks, , there would be minimal changes made to your schedule, except having one more helping hand to make your daily tasks a lot more enjoyable.
6. Make good use of non-school days
The holidays and weekends are great for spending time with your child, as they would have greater time and energy to spare. Plan your time well to ensure that you are able to free up some time on such days to carry out some fun activities with your kids!
7. Reject unnecessary commitments
If it is not compulsory or beneficial to accept outings hosted by your neighbors, try to spend that time to go out with your kid instead. Doing so will make your child feel loved.
8. Focus on being in the moment
Aside from being physically present, be emotionally present as well. Give your kid your full undivided attention. Respond to them. Not with just a nod of the head or shrugging them off with a simple “Mhm”. Reply clearly to show that you are engaged in the conversation. No phones, no iPad. Just you, and your child.
Maintaining a work-life balance does require some effort, but give the suggestions listed above a try! Once you have found a way which works perfectly for you and your family, a newer, more structured lifestyle is established, which depends on all family members to keep up with this improved routine.
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