The Modern Family Dynamics : Are You Having Enough Family Time?
Most of us are blessed to have family and we loved them deeply but how many of us actually stop and think if we’re having enough family time lately? The clocks seem to run ever so fast. There is so much on our hands – work, meetings, home cleaning, homework, friends, socializing and what not. But in all this, where is the family time? Where have the good old days gone when family members would sit for an evening snack or join in for an early supper and spend time together, share and cherish fun stores and create memories?
Family Time is Dying…
The irony of the social-media age is that family time is slowly dying. We don’t realize that we’re all sitting in the same room but talking to our friends on social media and not to each other. While we may think we’re more connected, we’re miles apart.
Source: AVG
Parents often complain that their kids use phone all the time and how it can be annoying and distracting. But we need to face another fact: parents use smartphones a bit too much and this sets a bad example. This is exactly what this infographic indicates where 54% of children say that their parents checked their phones too frequently and 52% parents agreed to it, too.
Ways to Spend More Family Time
Family time is fun and refreshing. We don’t realize it until we’re away. The easy laughs can be really good to relieve stress and anxiety. But thanks to the smartphones, we’re always busy! But let’s put a stop to it and resolve to spend more family time together. Here are a few fun ideas to start with:
Plan Movie Nights
It’s least expensive and downright fun! Plan a movie night with your family before the weekend approaches. Inform everyone before time so there are no other commitments. You don’t have to buy tickets to a movie when you can do so at the comfort of your own home. Turn off the lights, order pizza and keep snacks at the handy. While you get to enjoy a good movie, you’d finally be off your devices and connect with your family better!
Make Dinner Time a No-Device Zone!
Dinner is perhaps the most important meal of the day from the health point of view but it’s important for the family bonding, too. You get to ditch all the tensions and pending tasks of the day to share a bite or two with your family so why bring your smartphones or tabs to the dinner table and ruin it all? The emails can wait. The world can wait! Remind yourself this often and make your meal times device-free! Did you know that children who have dinner with their families are less likely to fall prey to drugs and alcohol? Well, that’s a fact:
But how do you do that? It’s very easy – FamilyTime parental control app lets you control device access of your children and family. Simply go to your FamilyTime – Dashboard app and disable their phone usage during dinner time. This way their phone screen will remain locked during that time and you can finally get everyone enjoying the meal!
Plan Family Activities
Board games are fun no matter how old you are. Make your family time even better with these board games that will make your children think and act quicker, get sharper and above all; spend more time with family! The popular games like Scrabble, Cards, Monopoly and Pictionary will hone their critical thinking skills and you can spend more time with them without the phones and Internet distracting you!
Spending ample family time is a must if you’re a working parent or stay-at-home parent. Interacting with your children one-on-one lends you’re the perfect opportunity to understand your children and assess if there is something troubling them. It’s a win-win game for you and your kids – this way, you can get rid of your work tensions and have a relaxed time with your kids and see them grow because children grow up only once so you better not miss out on anything!
