Do you have time for your children?

@Masmasika (1921)
Philippines
November 13, 2008 8:58am CST
Some people are too busy that they don't have time anymore for their children. Some children are complaining that there parents have no time for them because they are too busy working. I am a single mother and I work full time but i always have time for my child. When my son was a little boy, I even brought him to my work. During week ends we usually bring them with his cousins in the zoo or in the park to enjoy nature and relax. Now that he is a grown up and lives in another city, I go and visit him every month. I want to make sure I have time for him even if I am working very hard.
4 people like this
22 responses
• India
13 Nov 08
I think you should reframe the question and ask "do we have time for ourselves?". Most often our lives revolve around our children. Their clothing,their education, their homework, their needs, their joys, their freinds, their future, their problems etc etc. When do we have the time of rourselves? We are either working or involved with children. When do we live our lives? That happens with generationafter generation. We earn to provide for our children. We build a house for our future generations. It is a different matter that they may not live in it. Wemust learn to live our lives too.
1 person likes this
@suzzy3 (8342)
13 Nov 08
In my opinion if you feel like that don't have kids .My life is making sure my kids are happy and get what they need if their happy I am. Get a babysitter and go out for the evening.The day you give birth is it i am afraid it is a ahame noone explained that to you !!!!!!!!
• India
14 Nov 08
Oh don't worry I am a responsible father and have cared and looked after my children to the best of my ability. I have two daughters who are now grown up and i got one married 7 months back. The sond is studying to be a lawyer. Waht i meant to say was that we should not feel that for the sake of our children we shoud stop living our lives. We must live our lives too while caring for the children. You should not feel that just because you have children, you have to stop living your lives. You have to make some modifications no doubt, but life still carries on.
• United States
13 Nov 08
I am fortunate and so is my son, that yes i do have time for him. I mean dont get me wrong there is at least once a day in the evening after school where i may have to say, let me finish what im doing and then i will play or whatever it is he is wanting..but i am an at home mom right now til i can find work and he is an only child, so if i couldnt make time for him, well then there would be a problem, because i wouldnt have an excuse. It must be very hard to be a mom, work outside the home, take care of the home and still make quality time for our kids..but i will see that when i start working im sure, so while im not, i make the best of the time we have, or at least try my best to...but nobody is perfect.
@Masmasika (1921)
• Philippines
13 Nov 08
You are lucky to be an at home mom. I never tried it with my son, although I had taken cared of him being a single mother with no maid. My other siblings took care of my son when I was at work but there was a time when only I and my son were left at home and I had to bring him to work. Luckily my work is private tutorial and I was able to bring my son to work without any problems. Mothers really should have time with their children. It is very important.
1 person likes this
@ebsharer (5515)
• United States
13 Nov 08
I work full time and I am a wife but I always make time for my daughter doesn't matter what time of day or night. Most of the time I leave for work before she even gets up but there have been a few mornings that she woke up. I remember one morning she woke up as I was walking out the door - normally she yells for her daddy because he gets up with her but that morning I heard her yell mommy. So I put my stuff down and went to get her. She said cuddle so we got into my bed and cuddled for a little while. I told her I had to go to work and she said no mommy. So I called work and said I would be in late. I laid with her for about a half hour and we got up I got her breakfast and put cartoons on for her. She sat and had breakfast with Daddy and I left. Good thing my boss understands putting family first because I ended up being over an hour late. But it was worth every minute!
@ebsharer (5515)
• United States
13 Nov 08
Well the reality is I would have stayed home weather my boss liked it or not. My daughter will always come first. There are always other jobs if needed I only have one kid.
@suzzy3 (8342)
13 Nov 08
I am so glad to hear this I think you are wonderful, it is so hard sometimes leaving them even if you have no choice , it is so hard to make them understand whats life is all about,your boss is good he must think you are worth it.x
1 person likes this
@KUSHANK55 (2437)
• India
13 Nov 08
hi dear friend it hurts !! but the fact is i ignored my family for work , and now i feel the pinch!! what i could have done for my kids is not yet done and now the time is gone . the kids are away!! one should never ignore them for work!!
1 person likes this
@maroseqf (3657)
• Philippines
14 Nov 08
I just got married last January and I resigned from my job last March. After learning that I was pregnant, I decided not to look for a new job. Now that I already have my baby who is 10 days old, I think I won't be working in the near future. Actually, I still don't have any plans of looking for a job because I want to give my full time for my baby. I want to take care of him and be always there for him. I will try hard to give the best that I could. I love him so much and he is my life.
@Nhey16 (2518)
• Philippines
16 Nov 08
hello masmasika, you're doing a great job as a mom. when i was working, my kids stays with my mom and i just go there every weekend so i could just see my kids every weekend, that's hard for me, as a mom... but now that i'm a stay home mom, i make sure that i give them quality time...
@robert19ph (4577)
• Philippines
14 Nov 08
Hello Masmasika, As parent, we have a lot of responsibilities to our children, from giving them love and affection and making sure that they'll have a bright future. Working is not an excuse for not having time with them. I'm so happy that I have time for my children. Though sometimes I'm having overtime but I'm making sure that I will make up to them during my free time. Having time with them is really something I can be proud of, for they'll treasure it for the rest of their lives. Time flies and so I must enjoy my children spending my spare time to them while they're still with us. For if they're already working or grown up they have their own world and time of their own.
@mikeysmom (2088)
• United States
14 Nov 08
i could have and should have gone back to work when i left my job 3 1/2 years ago because of financial reasons but my son is only going to be little once and i wanted to be here for him as much as possible. i spent the first 4 1/2 years of his life working 30 hours per week and i made a decision to walk away as scary as it was at the time. being home with him has been such a gift and even though we have struggled financially ever since somehow with all i do from home to make money we manage to keep our heads above water. he knows i will be the one to drive him to school and pick him up after school and i am available to chaperone class trips and be here for teacher conferences and to help him with his homework instead of some babysitter or aftercare program and it makes all the difference to him. even though i am overwhelmed with many tasks here at home we are together and it is comforting to both of us. singles parents do not have much choice though and they do the best they can for sure. it isn't easy either way.
@mjmlagat (3170)
• Philippines
14 Nov 08
Helo Masmasika! I admire your dedication as a mom. Yes I have time for my kids although I'm quite busy with work. I make sure that I can still spend some quality time with them everyday because I don't want to miss them growing up; we all pass childhood once in our lives.
@icegermany (2524)
• India
14 Nov 08
i am always with my son as i am a housewife and mom now, i always spend time with my son and he is two and half years old. after i got married i had to stay back at home and from then i am still at home and i dont know when the day is going to come so that i can do a job. i know there are a few parents who are really busy in their own jobs and they find no time or very less time to their childrens and most of the childrens get effected due to these and they think that their parents dont like them and all those. parents have to everytime make some time for childrens, i know the job is important and also they should keep in mind that the childrens are also important and they feel lonely when parents dont give time to them.
@jazel_juan (15747)
• Philippines
14 Nov 08
lately i dont have time for my kids, work has been very demanding and i need to concentrate on work. and i feel really guilty about it but i am planning to make up for it this weekend, maybe bring them to some place where we could have fun and enjoy
• Canada
14 Nov 08
I think the question should have been "how much time do you have for your children?" because truth be told, all of us working parents dont always have the time we wish we had to spend with our little ones. With my first son, I was lucky to be able to stay home with him for the first couple years, but with my second I had to work the entire pregnancy and go back before my Mat. Leave was even up. But in between school and work, I always make some quality time for them, even if its just reading a book or going across the street to the park. They grow too fast to be having any regrets about the time you may have missed.
@KENSHA29 (34)
14 Nov 08
no i'm never to busy for my babies. family is very important to us. if you don't spend time with them there is a great change they get in trouble or get with the wrong people.
@moneymaya (901)
• India
14 Nov 08
No I don't have Time for them, becuase I don't have LOL :-) , yeah but I am agree with you that if you have children then you must have to take care them and it must be personal , by providing them other cares you should not think that you are completing your duty ,you will have to pay for it now or later because in this case you are not provinding them your own care then they will also not give you their care which will definetly hear you , ....
@Ithink (9980)
• United States
14 Nov 08
Im lucky as Im a stay at home mom. We have 7 kids with 4 being out of the house, 3 home and we have guardianship of our 22 month old granddaughter and another granddaughter living with us. Even with all 7 we always made time for them, together plus individual time but them taking turns going for walks, coloring, shopping or whatever. Now there is less at home but we do the same thing, even during the day if Im doing something and our grandbabies come up to me and want me I stop what I am doing and spend some time with them. If we go to town or shopping the older ones, 13, 16, 17 take turns going with us along with the babies. We also have supper together and that is time to talk and while cleaning up too. They each need to know we are here and we do our best to do that.
@tlb0822 (1410)
• United States
13 Nov 08
My family is very lucky that I only have to work two nights a week, to help support our family. My fiance works five days a week. I am able to stay home with our daughter, and spend time with her during the day. On my working nights our daughter gets some very special play time with her daddy. We always make sure that we make time for one another, and to spend time with our daughter. Even during the day, when I am busy cleaning or doing laundry I stop and play blocks or a game with my daughter. She is 11months old so she is still intersted in folding laundry, and running around knocking things over lol.
@lyzabelle (1668)
• Philippines
13 Nov 08
I am a very busy mother of a 3 years old son. But I always try to find time to play with him. I love my son very much and being busy is not an excuse.
• Philippines
13 Nov 08
god job! i myself, make time....inspite and despite of everything else...my kids are my number 1 priority and still, i wish to have even more time with them...
• United States
13 Nov 08
when i was a single parent and worked full time i had time for my daughter. u have to try to make time. u shouldn't have had children if u didn't have time. Or if it is just a rough time in life that u will get past in a few months that is ok. but if u won't have time for a few yrs, u r a disgrace!!!
• United States
13 Nov 08
I think it is SO important for the parents to spend quaility time with thier children. They grow so fast, and I think those that don't spend that time regret it some day. Even though it is hard sometimes trying to balance out work, chores, and family, to me the most important is time with family. Some evenings I just have to ignore those dishes sitting on the counter and play with my son instead!