Upon becoming a parent, your focus inherently shifts to doing all the right things and making all the right decisions in order to raise a happy, well-developed child. Between making choices as small as what your child will wear each day, to as large as whom you will trust with your child’s health, growth, and education, you are constantly trying to provide them with only the best options possible. Don’t forget, the best thing you can give your child, is you!
Close family relationships, born of our quality family time, are essential to a child’s growth and development as a well-rounded person. With the presence of family time, a child can feel supported, loved, and even strengthened in their everyday challenges and adventures. Here are just a few reasons why family time is so important:
Family Bonding
Perhaps the most obvious reason for family time is to strengthen family bonds and relationships. With quality time, a child can feel important, valued, and loved. The best part is, family bonding and quality family time doesn’t have to be anything out of the ordinary. Take advantage of simple, everyday interactions, by getting the whole family involved. Family meal time, watching a favourite television show, doing homework, or even doing the groceries can all be great opportunities to form a closer relationship with your child. Through these experiences, children will come to appreciate and understand the importance of family time as well.
Learning Positive Behaviour
When you start spending quality family time with your children, you are giving them the opportunity to experience and model your good behaviour and habits on a more frequent basis. This is a fantastic way for children to learn first-hand about things like manners, and how to interact with others in a positive way.
Additionally, you as a parent will be able to learn more about your child! Over time, you will be able to learn about their likes, dislikes, strengths, learning styles, and even more about their individual personality. This will definitely come in handy, as you will be able to better guide and teach your child moving forward in a way that is more specifically suited to their needs.
Creating Happy Memories
Who can forget one of the best parts of family time: creating happy memories, for both you and your children. Since more family time will help you to identify your child’s likes and interests, it will be that much easier to plan outings and activities they will have fun doing now, and cherish for a lifetime. If your child is particularly active, you may want to enrol them in a sport or extracurricular activity. They will enjoy the experience, appreciate you for the opportunity, and you will be able to interact with and spend time with them on yet another level.
However you choose to spend quality family time with your family, the importance, experience, and memories will remain. Remember, the most important thing you can ever give to your child is your time.
How do you spend quality family time with your children? Share with us in the comments below!