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Question: How can I spend more time with my children?
Answer: Remember the 80/20 rule. Simply stated, it means that 80 per cent of the results of any job usually come from just 20 per cent of the effort. The same rule applies to how you spend your time. Is the extra hour you spend on housework the best use of your time? Or could you use that hour to do something with your children? You may believe you always have to do things right. Think about doing the right things right. Five years from now, your children won’t remember the night you left the dishes in the sink, but they’ll treasure the memory of a walk you took to look at the night sky.
Write down things that are most important to you in life. Chances are good that your family will top the list. Now, try to remember how you’ve spent your time during the past few days—hour by hour. Does the way you spend your time reflect your priorities? How much time was spent with your children? How important were the things you can’t remember? Make a plan for how you will use your time in the week ahead. Write it down. Include time with children in your plan. Check to see how you did at the end of the week. We do what we think is important. Deciding what is important can be the first step in making time count.
Help children develop routines for mealtimes, bedtime and weekends. The repetition helps children learn to organize their world and gives them a foundation for the rest of their lives. It gives them security and helps them learn. What activities can your children count on? Do you have a regular family popcorn night? Do you go to church regularly? Do you have a special weekend activity your family enjoys?
Here are four tips that will give you more time:
Set priorities. Decide what’s really important to you, and then focus your time on the things that really matter.
Lower your standards. Let dust collect in the corners. Don’t buy clothes that need ironing. Ask yourself: "What’s the worst thing that can happen if I don’t do this?" If the answer is "nothing," just don’t do it.
Find solutions. Realize that there’s more than one way to do things. If exercise cuts into the time you spend with your children, find an activity you can enjoy together. If time spent preparing meals is keeping you isolated in the kitchen, insist that everyone pitch in.
Learn to say no.
Source: The Parent Institute,
www.parent-institute.com
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