15 Ways To Make More Time For Your Family

I travel quite a bit for work.  I am always thinking about the time that I spend with my family.  Am I spending enough? Am I doing enough to show them that I love them?  I think it’s partially tied to guilt, but I also want to ensure that I make time for my family.

 

It seems there are simply not enough hours in the day to do all the things that we need and want to accomplish.  I can’t be the only one that feels this way, right?  The fact is that between work, kids, household duties, and everything else; it is easy to become overwhelmed with no time to do anything outside of those things. 

 

Even something as basic as spending time with our family gets put aside because of the busyness of life.  It doesn’t have to be this way if you work toward making it happen.

Here are 15 ways to make more time for your family:

 

1. Make it a habit.  Making family time a required habit will keep you spending a lot more time with your family every day.
2. Schedule it in.  You schedule everything else into your day, this shouldn’t be any different.
3. One on one.  If you have more than one child, spend a few minutes with each, one on one.  It may only be a few minutes, but the undivided attention makes all the difference.
4. Dinnertime.  Dinner is a great time to get caught up on the day’s events and activities.  Make an effort to plan a sit-down dinner with the family several times per week.
5. Read together at bedtime. Children love to read and they especially love to read with their parents.  Make this a nighttime ritual.
6. Enlist their help.  If you are busy with a chore, ask the kids for help.  They will feel included if you invite them into what you are doing (even if it’s just the dishes).
7. Drive the kids to school.  Once and awhile, take the kids to school instead of having them ride the bus.  A lot of talking can happen in that car ride.
8. Create a group chat.  If you have bigger kids with phones, why not make a group chat for the family?  This way you are all keeping up with one another throughout the day.
9. Schedule a monthly family date.  Once a month, make sure you and your family are going on a family date (hike, museum, etc). 
10. Send them a text or leave a note. Send your spouse and older kids a text message reminding them of some of the reasons you love and appreciate them.  If your kids are too little for a phone, write them a note for their lunchbox.
11. Turn off electronics.  Choose an evening a week or even an hour a day where there are no phones, gadgets, etc.  This will help make your time together more meaningful.
12. Have breakfast together.  Wake everyone up a few minutes earlier and sit down to enjoy breakfast together.  Even if that breakfast is just a bowl of cereal. 
13. Exercise together.  Go on a hike or go to the neighborhood basketball courts and fit in some activity as a family.
14. Meal prep.  Okay, so meal prepping takes a lot of time out of a day but if you enlist the kids help while doing it, you are spending time together and then you can spend less time cooking during the week and can instead spend time with them.
15. Limit activities and playdates.  Put a limit on the amount of activities your kids do and how often they are at friends’ houses, etc.  It’s ok to say no to these things sometimes and it helps you get more quality time with them.

It’s easy to believe that you don’t have time but by breaking it down in list form gives me a better understanding of how I can make time.  The next time you’re struggling with family time, or the lack thereof…think of one thing on this list and do it fully.  If it’s meal prepping together be completely in the moment.  Don’t think about laundry, cleaning, or paying bills – just focus your attention on your family and preparing your next meal.

 

How do you make sure to fit family time in?  Whether you spend 15 minutes or half a day – making the time is a huge win!

 

[latoyia]