Family time is difficult to come by in today’s hectic society. Schedules may be difficult to arrange, especially if the family is large.
Work, school, friendships, interests, and other obligations are all part of life. All of these activities take a lot of time and effort, but so does spending time with your family.
Why is it so vital to spend time with your family? Because we all require love and support, which only a good, strong family can offer on a consistent basis.
Spending time with family helps youngsters establish strong core beliefs, boost their mental health, and mold them into decent, responsible individuals.
Spending time with your family has a number of advantages. Every Tuesday night, for example, my family and I (which includes my grandkids) get together for dinner and games.
My oldest son and I alternate cooking duties. This provides us with everyone the opportunity to test different dishes. We play games after supper.
And they never fail to elicit competitiveness and laughter. As family night has progressed, the grandkids have begun to invite their friends around, necessitating the addition of extra seats but also broadening our circle of enjoyment.
Aside from the obvious benefits of having fun and playing games with your family, there are additional reasons why spending time with them is so important.
In this article, I will provide you with multiple reasons why spending time with your family regularly is a win-win. And then, I will lay out some ways to do it.
Let’s get started, shall we?
Why Spending Time With Your Family Is Important
Here are six reasons why it’s important to spend time with your family.
1. Provides the Opportunity to Bond
It encourages communication when you spend time as a family talking about your day, your highs, and your lows. It allows you, as a parent, to listen to your children, to hear what they have to say, and to learn about what is going on in their lives. It also allows you to use real-life circumstances as teaching opportunities.
My family used to see each other fairly frequently but not consistently before our Tuesday night dinner/game nights, especially the grandkids.
All of that changed on our family night. It’s now a given that the grandkids, as well as some of their friends, will be present. Not only do I get to learn about what’s going on in their life, but they also get to learn about us.
It’s about making memories they’ll cherish for a lifetime and modeling the Get-Together tradition for when they have their own families.
“Spending time partaking in everyday family leisure activities has been associated with greater emotional bonding within families.”[1]
2. Teaches the Value of Family
Taking the time to be with your family shows them that they are important to you and that spending time with them is a priority.
I understand that in today’s environment, both parents are generally busy because they both work. What better way to show your children that they are loved than to schedule time with them each week?
“Words like honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and bravery are essential to millennia of religious, philosophical, and family values,” says Marilyn Price-Mitchell, Ph.D.
Use these, as well as others, to communicate and reinforce your family’s beliefs. Teach youngsters how to act in accordance with these values.
Use quotations to start important meal conversations with your kids and urge them to discuss these ideas.” [2]
3. Enhances Mental Well-Being
Spending meaningful time with your children provides a secure environment for them to express themselves, ask questions about issues that concern them, and speak about their day and what they’ve learned.
My 9-year-old granddaughter, for example, can’t wait to tell me about her day when it’s her time. She generally talks on and on and needs to be interrupted to allow everyone else to share their experiences.
“According to research, the quality of family ties is more essential than the number or makeup of the family. Regardless of who makes up a family, they may form strong, good bonds that promote well-being and support children’s and adolescents’ mental health. ” [3]
Having the ability to seek counsel from parents they trust, as well as having a sounding board and assistance with problem-solving, is invaluable to children.
Furthermore, being able to express themselves and be heard—and feeling as though what they have to say matters—is an esteem booster. All of these can have a significant favorable impact on their health.
4. Helps the Child Feel Loved
What do you think it’s like for a child to know that their parents want to spend time with them—talking, sharing experiences, playing games, and listening? It will help them feel significant, and a youngster who feels significant is happier and more likely to prosper.
Setting aside housework or work to spend time with your children shows them that they are important and valued. What a wonderful present to give your child!
“If a child has your undivided attention, it signals that they are loved and important to you. This can be further nurtured by experiencing joyful activities together, as it demonstrates that you want to spend time with your children over and above all of the daily demands.”[4]
5. Creates a Safe Environment
When you spend time with your children on a regular basis, you are also cultivating a sense of trust. The more trust you have in them, the more likely they are to discuss what’s going on in their lives with you. You’re going to want to know as they become older.
Negative influences might appear at any time, but if you’ve always been there for your child, they’re more likely to seek your counsel.
Spending time together fosters familiarity and a sense of belonging. The kid is more inclined to open up when they feel protected and secure.
This is one method to learn more about your child and what they are thinking about. Are they all right? Do they require your assistance? If so, how would you go about doing it?
6. Reduces Stress
This is important. We’ve all experienced stress at some point in our lives. Spending time with family can assist to relieve stress.
It’s a chance to talk things over, obtain feedback, and perhaps come up with a solution to the problem that’s generating the stress.
“During the holidays, your closest five individuals definitely switch to family and friends,” says Brandy Drzymkowski. You could even be able to glimpse distant relatives.
There’s good news! This might really assist you in reducing your stress levels. ‘Face-to-face interaction…counteracts the body’s protective ‘fight-or-flight’ reaction,’ according to studies. Quality time spent with loved ones, in other words, is nature’s stress reliever.” [5]
So, now that you know some of the benefits, what are some ideas for making family time happen?
How to Make Family Time Happen
Here are four things you can do to make family time happen and spend more time with them.
1. Family Dinners
As I previously stated, this is a fantastic way to spend time together. You have the opportunity to talk about what’s going on in your lives while eating dinner—the highs, lows, and everything in between. It’s like having a safety net against life’s difficulties.
Aside from that, there are several more advantages of eating supper together. According to studies, children who dine with their family on a daily basis had a lower chance of substance addiction, teen pregnancy, and depression. [6]
“Our belief in the ‘magic’ of family dinners is grounded in research on the physical, mental and emotional benefits of regular family meals.” It further states, “We recommend combining food, fun, and conversation at mealtimes because those three ingredients are the recipe for a warm, positive family dinner—the type of environment that makes these scientifically proven benefits possible.”[7]
“Children and adolescents who spend more time with their parents are less likely to engage in hazardous conduct,” according to Parenting NI.
Teens who have occasional family meals are twice as likely to use cigarettes, almost twice as likely to use alcohol, and one and a half times more likely to use marijuana, according to studies conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Arizona State University. [8]
As you can see, there are several advantages to spending time with each other on a regular basis. With this family activity, you can’t go wrong.
2. Regular Movie Nights
This is another enjoyable event, however, I must advise that, based on personal experience, selecting a film that everyone wants to watch is not simple.
So allow yourself plenty of time so you don’t waste two hours looking for a movie just to wind up watching nothing since the night is nearly done. If at all feasible, pick a movie before the day.
After that, invite people to talk about it. Pose questions that are relevant to the film. What are your thoughts about ABC? Should they have gone through with it?
What would you have done differently if you could go back in time? You may ask a variety of questions to start a discussion and keep the night going.
3. Game Night
This is another opportunity to have a good time. It’s significantly more enjoyable if you have a competitive attitude. There are several games out there that may cause mayhem—Balderdash, Pictionary, Apples to Apples, and Charades, to name a few.
All I can say is don’t take yourself too seriously on game evenings. It’s not the end of the world if you lose the game. It’s all about having a good time with your friends, laughing, arguing, and having a wonderful time.
Furthermore, “Playing board games is beneficial to youngsters for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that it is enjoyable to play games!” Children may use age-appropriate games to help them think strategically, solve problems imaginatively, practice pattern identification, and develop basic math abilities.
They also aid in the development of social skills like obeying rules, taking turns, and winning or losing gracefully.
A family game night also allows youngsters to bond with their siblings, parents, and family members, as well as their peers. It can help to develop an enjoyable habit while also promoting tradition-building.” [9
So, go choose a game to play with your family and start having fun!
4. Sharing a Hobby
If you and one of your children enjoy doing the same activities, do them more frequently. On the weekends, for example, my eldest son and his teenage son go on lengthy bike rides together. They not only get to exercise, but they also get to speak and take in the scenery.
They’ve also made cooking a part of their daily routine. They plan the meal, shop for ingredients, and cook it together—all activities that bring them closer together.
Sharing a common interest is an excellent way to bring family members closer together. It brings people together in incredible ways.
“One of the easiest and most essential ways to improve a child’s self-esteem is to spend time with them doing something not only that they like but that they are good at,” says Alison Ratner Mayer, LICSW.
When a parent and a child enjoy a mutually appreciated pastime, there is unique alchemy that happens. It conveys to the youngster the idea that their parents are enjoying genuine, honest, and genuine pleasure with them.” [10]
Final Thoughts
It is an investment to spend time with your family. It’s an investment in the system’s pleasure, well-being, and security.
It may also be used to break free from the daily grind and the continual demands of the outside world while simultaneously strengthening the family bond.
Even if it isn’t always easy, making time for each other is essential for keeping close and giving and receiving love and support. The gift of time is the greatest of all gifts.
That’s something we all seem to be lacking these days. As a result of delivering that present on a regular basis, everyone feels cherished and valued.
A happy family is one that takes the time to engage on a daily basis. They see themselves as members of a tribe, which is critical in today’s chaotic environment.
Knowing that there are individuals you can rely on—people who will be there for you when you need them—is priceless.
Now, if you haven’t done so previously, get down with your family and make a strategy.