Do You Spend Quality Time With Your Family?

@lynnemg (4529)
United States
February 13, 2009 10:37pm CST
In the world today, it seems like most of us are always busy. Between jobs, second jobs, errands, and everything else, sometimes, it is difficult to spend real quality tiome with our families. I know that my day-to-day life is quite busy between working outside the home, running the kids to and from school, helping them with their paper routes, cooking, cleaning, errands, and extra-curricular activities, it is sometimes difficult to find time to spend all together, so, latley, we have been trying to at the very least, do neede things as a family.For instance, we deliver papers 6 days a week, and instead of splitting up to do them, we all go together. This gives us a little time to talk between houses and routes. We also try our best to spend Sunday as a family day together. Sometimes, we will go to the local YMCA, other times, we will do no more than sit at home and watch movies together. How about you, do you spend quality time with your family? What kinds of things do you do together?
2 people like this
12 responses
@pmcepe (194)
• Philippines
15 Feb 09
You just showed us how you can make a family time even in the midst of daily busy-ness. We may rationalize that we are busy working to insure the future of our family, but in the process we neglect to nurture the family who are supposed to benefit. My sons learned early on that Sunday must-do is going to church together. Whenever possible, even if they are now living independently, we still find joy in going to church together. Meal time, whether at home or somewhere else is always bonding time. We also schedule at least one out-of-town vacation a year.
• China
15 Feb 09
First I should say , I love my daddy and mummy~ They invested such a lot in my growth, my life and my early success. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am now. It's a kind of favor I never assume I can pay them back. Now I have been a social fresh man rather than a student which is a great shift to me - I have to be more independent, more mature, more reponsible. I have to earn money based on my own ability and give my parents a quality life in their retired years. But it's really unavoidbale that time is not that enough to spend with my parents together due to heavy work especially in such a bad economic situation~
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
15 Feb 09
As hectic as your life amy seem, I think that your parents wold really appreciated it if you made a little time each way to send solely with them. Even if it is only an hour. I know that my parents really cherish talking to me and my kids on the phone whenever we have the chance, and I make it a point t call them at least once a week.
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
15 Feb 09
Weekends are our family time together. We either hang out at home, watching a movie or two, playing at the park for a few hours, playing PSP games together, or going for a drive and checking out what's happening in and around our town.
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
15 Feb 09
That sounds nice. I imagine that you and your family really enjoy the weekends, and it gives you all something to look forward to during the week.
@GemmaR (8517)
14 Feb 09
I do try my best to spend quality time with the family, but I don't always get the chance to. We always have dinner around the table on Saturdays and Sundays, as this is the only time none of us are working. Occasionally we will go out somewhere together like to the cinema or out for a meal, and this is always good fun to do. You should cherish your family. They will always love you, and you will always have them even when you have noone else.
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
15 Feb 09
That is such a true statement!! My kids have been through enough at their young ages that they know that no matter what happens in life, I am always going to be here for them. They also know that no matter what they can come to me.
• United States
15 Feb 09
We dont get to spend as much time together, the whole family, so I make sure that we at least have dinner together .... and then after that we maybe get an hour but that is homework time, bath time, reading my sons library book time... so it gets a little chaotic at those times since we try to get so much in after daddy gets home... LOL
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
15 Feb 09
I can relate. There are mant days that I feel just are not long enough to get everything done.
• United States
15 Feb 09
Well I do spend a lot of time with my family. I do. The problem is that when I wanna do something with my friends they wont let me. I am stuck with them. When they do let me go and I spend more than a couple of hours than they will get angry. I dont know man. I do spend time with them and I really like that but the problem is that I sometimes just want my space and dont get it.
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
15 Feb 09
I think that every body needs to have their own personal time. I know that when I was growing up, my personal time was mostly as school, work, or while I was doing homework. It was rare that I spent time with friends outside of those activitites. I grew up being quite a loner who didn't care to be around my family very much at all. Once I became an adult, I really began to cherish the time I spent with my family.
• Janesville, Wisconsin
14 Feb 09
My family overwhelms me... So I spent more time in front of the computer and away from them, But my family is a very large busy and noisy family. We just do not have much in common. :) So I am the loner of the family. But I do watch movies with them at times and watch them open presetns wish them a happy holdiays or b-days joke and tease them.. But most of the time I am smile, wave, and bolt it :) - DNatureofDTrain
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
15 Feb 09
That is how I felt growing up. I would make any and eevery excuse I could find to be left alone! It was actually more of a punishment for my parents to make me stay out of my room than to make me go to my room!! Now that I jave kids, I want them to know ow very important they are to me, and even though I do not feel that as a family we spen enough quality time together, I do make it a point to listen to my children and spend time with them each day.
@thaMARKER (2503)
• Philippines
3 Jun 09
I’m working away from my family. ? My sister lives away from my family though but she’s nearer to me. Every time she visits town, we make sure we see each other. Difficult thing is I work at night so I only have few hours to spend with her because I need to sleep. Not unless she visits me during my rest day, but usually she does. Even if I feel so sleepy but I wanted to be with her because it at least lift my sadness and abates my stressful mind from anything connected to my work and being alone.
@shinymood (405)
• China
14 Feb 09
I don't think being busy should become an excuse for not spending time with one's family members, especially kids. Sometimes quality time is not what it sounds to be. My friend has always been busy but she manages to listen to her daughter's "news report" about her study and interesting things happened at school and then makes comments about the news. They get along well, even when my friend is busying preparing dinner in the kitchen.
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
15 Feb 09
I do spend time with my kids each day. We do many things together that I hope they will hold as dear memories when they fet older. I also make it a point to listen to them and ask them about their day at school every day. As a family, as a whole, we do not spend as much quality time together as we shuld, in my opinion. It is not unusual for my husband to work late and the kids and I to eat dinner without him. Nor it is unusual for me to take the time when he is home to work on my computer. We are in the process of making a few changes though to ensure more quality time as a family.
@rane247 (78)
• Philippines
14 Feb 09
Right now, I', still living with my family and as long I'm here we took the chance to bond together. Because in the future I might have work and have a family so I can't really spend that frequently with my family. Whenever one of us have a birthday all of us were doing the preparation like cooking and other stuff. When a holiday comes we went together in our province and just spent a quality time with each other.
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
15 Feb 09
That is a wise choice. When I lived close to my parents,I took it for granted a bit that I would alwsya be able to see whenever I wanted. Now, I live a pretty good distance away and I really miss being able to go to Mom's whenever the mood strikes me.
• United States
14 Feb 09
Every day! Our children are 2 1/2 and 6 months so I suppose it is easier for us but we make it a point. We sit down and play with their toys with them, read books, go on walks, and so forth together. It's important for us to do things that involve us together rather then just a movie, or such. Our son does martial arts with us as my husband is our instructor. I think because we're starting it young it is something that they will just view as normal. We have two meals together every day. My husband is the bread winner so my son and I eat our dinners together. We sometimes have special treats when my husband comes home as well. Our son, very early on, started waking up just before his dad would get home from work. We were concerned he wasn't getting enough sleep and the doctor said to try and give him a treat or play with him and see what occured. Well, it's now become a pattern that involves a quick snack with dad, a story or such, and our son is back asleep. It's just his little extra daddy time. Though, we do spend all our time together. We do all our errands together, even it is something like me getting my hair done-they simply watch and wait. We do all our shopping together, etc. The only thing we do apart is when we attend classes. I'm in graduate school and my husband is working on his BA in religion, so obviously the kids can't come to class with us, but we've set it up so that one of us is with them.
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
15 Feb 09
It sounds like to have found ways to make the most of a busy schedule with your family. That's wonderful. I am sure that your kids will benefit from that when they are adults.
• China
14 Feb 09
Yes, spending more quality time with family is very important. nowadays, the pace of the society pace is so fast and everyone's so buy. we really need to make time for our family. I thing your family set a very good example. In my family, the quality time is when we have dinner. we talk about everything over dinner.
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
15 Feb 09
My kids and I talk about things when we are in the car after school. My husband and I talk to each other when he gets home from work, and after the kids go to bed. My kids come to us with everything and are not afraid to tell us anything at all; I guess we are doing something right since they are as comfortable with talking to us as they are.