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Family Time: Why Spending Time with Family is Important

Family time can solve many of your issues. Spending time with family helps create a better life for your kids. Here are reasons why family time is important.
Spending family time and importance of family
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While it’s true that family is forever, it is important that the family is healthy. Your family will be healthy if you give it time. Family time is an essential factor that helps to create strong bonds, love, connections, and relationship among the family members. Spending quality time with family does help in coping with challenges, instill a feeling of security, inculcate family values, fill kids with confidence, and much more. Read further to understand the importance of family and its benefits in this updated post. ~ Ed.

You have a lifetime to work, but children are only young once.” ~Polish Proverb

Do you ever wonder why family time is important?

Yes, time is so important – in fact, time is money, as we’re often reminded when we set out to seek our livelihood as parents.

But family time? Is this meaningful or serve any purpose? Isn’t it just a waste of time because you could probably earn a few grand more putting that time to work!

I know you do not actually think like that and I’ve exaggerated it a bit.

May be you do plan to spend time with your family but things do not always go as per the plans. But you do it all for the family – to earn and provide for the family.

You give money and things to your family. But what does your family need the most?

Your time.

For your kids, your time spent with them is life precious jewels that embed in their memories forever.

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Family Time

The concept of “family” has changed a great deal in recent times, and there are now various forms of families and different styles of parenting. However, one thing remains certain; whatever the term “family” may mean to you, it is of utmost importance in your child’s life.

The family where your child grows up has a big influence on how he or she deals with relationships, copes with situations, and learns about living life. It’s only possible if you proactively be a part of the family.

And for that to happen, you need to block out family time in your schedule.

Family time is also important because if children don’t get the required attention, they might do something that could get them in trouble.

Some stay-at-home parents or moms may think that they are somehow “better” than other parents or moms, who stay away from home for most of the time. This is a misconception.

We often think that it’s all about quantity when it comes to the time we spend with our kids, whereas it is the quality time that we need to give our family and children. Your kids care less about the hours you spend with them, than how you spend your time with them.

As your children get older and become teenagers, it becomes tougher to spend family time with them. It’s mainly because life keeps you busy and your children reach a stage where their friends are the main priority.

As a parent, you have to be willing to go down to their level and enter their world. Sometimes you have to be creative or let them decide what they want to do as a family. But never give up on spending family time with your teens, and they may appreciate it more than what they express.

According to studies, healthy families make family time for talking and listening, accepting differences, showing affection and encouragement, sharing chores and decision making, keeping in touch, and making time for each other.

Why Family Time is Important

For those who still doubt the importance of family time, mentioned below are a few points to put things in better perspective. Here are 10 reasons why family time is important:

To build a stronger bond with your family

The main reason why family time is important is because you need to develop ties and bond with your family. Often kids decide to join gangs or groups because they welcome them in, to become a part of their family.

Your kids need a sense of belonging and security, as they need to feel they have someone they can turn and look up to, for anything. Spending family time together ensures that a deep, strong, family bond develops.

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To make time to talk and listen

Another good reason of spending time with family directly relates to the need to share, talk, and listen to each other as a family.

Parents often think that it would be tough to talk to their children, who think differently from grown-ups. However, parents tend to forget their own time, as how it was for them when they were young! The people you liked were mostly those who listened to what you had to say, similarly, you need to listen to what your children have to say. Listening doesn’t mean only hearing the words your child is saying, but also feeling what your child is trying to convey.

You need to listen without jumping in with answers, criticizing, or giving your own view points. You need to show that you are involved in the conversation, by stopping all other work you are doing, and just listen to them. Talk directly to your kids, especially teenagers, about alcohol and drugs, and set a good example yourself.

To teach your children important lessons of life

If you do not teach children at home, they will learn it elsewhere. As a parent, would you want your children to learn life’s important lessons by undergoing pain, or going the wrong way?

Although children have to learn a few things on their own, it’s important to have family time for discussions, where you can put forth problems or situations in front of them, and then talk about them with your children, seek their opinion, and discuss on the matter. This would help them understand the situations of life in a better way.

To show affection, appreciation, and encouragement

Family time is important so that everyone in the family has a way of showing affection to each other, maybe by giving hugs, holding hands, being thoughtful and kind. According to studies, teenagers who remember being praised, hugged, or kissed are likely to do better at school than those who don’t have this experience.

You need to take out that quality family time to ask what each family member has done in the day, and show interest in each other’s lives. People find it very easy to criticize than praise. So make an effort to think about the positive in each person and tell your child what goodness you have noticed, besides teaching them these values.

To instill family values in your children

Instilling family values in children is of great significance nowadays, so that they are not misled by the number of divorces on the rise.

Children mostly imitate the behavior you show towards them. If you are an absent parent, they will be the same to their children in the future. Instead, they often portray worse behaviors than they see.

Thus, spending family time together will build a sense of worth and instill positive family values in your children.

To inculcate family rituals and traditions

Daily rituals or the little things that you do daily and on special occasions, helps to build a sense of belonging, contentedness, and inner security within the family. Daily rituals like the way you greet each other, or say goodbye, what you do at mealtimes or bedtimes, can all be something to share within your family time.

Families benefit from coming together to celebrate occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, or festivals like Christmas, etc., where they learn the traditions about what happens at these times.

To accept the differences in each person

Family time is essential to appreciate, encourage, and value the differences in each family member, knowing that everyone is special in their own way. Allow each family member to be excited about their personal interests, and show respect and tolerance towards them.

Don’t pressurize your family members to be like you, or hide their feelings and differences. Instead, let them feel proud to be themselves.

To keep in touch with friends and relatives

As we live in a society, we do need to spend time among our family as well as interact with friends and relatives. Knowing that there are people outside the family to turn to in a crisis can make a difference to your child’s happiness. It also increases the chances of them making good friends later in life.

To share the chores

Family time is important to teach younger children, by giving them chance to do things for themselves, under your supervision. Use adult power wisely, and keep control through humor and encouragement, not with punishments or threats.

By spending time with family together, a very special relationship of trust and intimacy develops that helps build a healthy family. Especially when children have a real say in what happens and where everyone feels their views are heard.

To help and connect better with your children

One of the most overlooked aspects of education today is parental involvement. Many parents don’t realize the importance of family time and how important it is to involve themselves in their children’s learning.

All parents and family members need to find time and make the effort. Research shows that when parents involve themselves in the family, their children:

  1. Get superior grades and test scores.
  2. Graduate from high school at higher rates.
  3. Are most likely to go on to higher education.
  4. Have more positive attitudes and behave better.

Spending time with family can be like reading a bedtime story to your kids, checking their homework, getting involved in PTA, discussing your child’s progress with teachers, or anything related also to their academic progress. Or it can be as simple as asking your children, how was their day at school, but ask every day.

Wrapping it Up

So, the importance of family and why you should spend quality time with family doesn’t remain a question anymore. Now you know it helps create a sense of belonging, where you can share ideas, values, and beliefs.

You need to find some ways to spend time together as a family group, and make fun times together. For example, you could share meals together without the distraction of television or cell phones, share information, and learn about what is happening in each other lives. You could play cards, games or sports, take holidays together, go camping, watch movies, or share hobbies.

You will build a stronger family unit by spending more time together, and your family will stick together through rough times, besides enjoying the fun times together.

Show loyalty to your family, stick up for each other so that each person feels confident in the family’s support and pull together to form a united front to find solutions.

Children grow up and are gone before you realize it, so don’t waste the time you have now, and spend it with your family. Remember, that strong families are able to withstand setbacks and crisis with a positive attitude, shared values, and beliefs that help them cope with challenges.

Over to You –

Now that you know why family time is important, how do you spend time with your family? Do share your thoughts.

Photo Credit: Photostock

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  1. I like that you mentioned the importance of having family daily rituals or traditions. My wife loves going to baseball games with our kids all the time. I think we will try to make it a weekly tradition of going to a baseball game and spending time together!

  2. I agree that children will try and do things that could get them in trouble if they don’t get the attention they need. I feel like parents should make family time a moment in which their kids can express themselves freely. Ideally this would be all the time but family time is a great place to start.

  3. Yes, absolutely valuable content in maintaining the good family relationship. This is much needed in the hard situation like pandemic and also, lockdown and restrictions have gave some free time to spend with our family at home. Really loved your writing.

  4. I like how you said that family time can help foster a sense of belonging and security in addition to aiding the development of a strong family bond. My husband and I both agree that our three kids have been spending too much time with electronics for the last few months. Reading your article made me excited to start researching some local things to do together as a family!

  5. The thing is that many people in life were very lucky to find their loved ones and have a family that many others were never that lucky at all when it came to finding love. So there is the problem right there for many of us single people since a great deal of us aren’t single by choice to begin with. Being married has a lot of advantages since you’re always together wherever you go, and you will never be alone. Many single people like us have a lot of disadvantages since wherever we go which we will always be alone. I definitely would’ve been married along time ago had i met the right good woman from the very beginning, and i am sure that many other men that are still single would certainly agree with me as well.

  6. Hi Harleena,
    Such post can only come from you. You have explained the importance of family in a very beautiful manner. In our life, we have many important things. But the foremost important thing is family and if we can spend quality time with family then we are one of the luckiest person in this world.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Have a great day ahead
    Regards

  7. Hi Harleena,

    Yet another ALERT Post from AhaNOW!

    Spending quality time with the family is no doubt a very serious one to note!

    But sad, this seldom happens with many. I am sure this post will give a great alert to such people.

    Yes, this is surely a great and must read to all especially the one on spending time on Online, I mean especially the bloggers! 🙂

    I fully agree with the points you raised in this worth notable post.

    Nice that you provided the informative link to a page which talks some more vital lessons in this matter. Yes, the link is a must read “Ways to spend time together as a family group,

    I really missed reaching here. Nice that I found it today.

    Keep sharing.
    Have a great time of sharing such valuable lessons to your visitors thru such posts.
    Best.
    PS: AhaNOW page has been mentioned in one of our recent updated posts on the pages of Newsand views for you pages with all due credit:
    Thanks
    ~ Phil

  8. Hi Harleena,

    Such post can only come from you. You have explained the importance of family in a very beautiful manner. In our life, we have many important things. But the foremost important thing is family and if we can spend quality time with family then we are one of the luckiest person in this world.

    Thanks for sharing.
    Have a great day ahead! 🙂

    >SK Lohar

  9. Hi Harleena,
    When I think about my mother all I can think of is the quality time she spent with me and my brother Keith.
    She would bake a cake and one would get the spoon afterward while the other would get the bowl to lick clean.
    Mostly I recall her reading us books.
    She was really good at putting you there in the story.
    She gave us a lot but now that she’s gone all I can remember is the time she gave us.
    Yesterday I played basketball with my son and grandson. And all the guys on the court couldn’t believe I was still out there playing at 51 years old!
    But they don’t know it’s not about how well I can play anymore, it’s about spending time with family.
    My grandson love telling his friends that he balled with his father and grandfather..lol
    That something he will never forget.
    Nice reminder.

  10. Hi Harleena,

    When I was a kid I don’t remember that we have family time together, after I ask to speak during our couples retreat this year about FAMILY TIME on my research on the net I was guided on your blog. Many for Thank it. On my research I know how other family spend their family time. And this is also the time I know that eating lunch together is a family time because no one told us, we never go together as a family in church in fact my father is very religious we never go together to any special place, but rather we stay at home after our chores our father said its better to study our lesson than stay outside and play with my friends, no bed time stories, that is why I have no idea of having family time. This grieving thoughts end after I finished elementary school. During my high school days I was sent to my relatives in the city to study high school and work as a working students and you know Harleena that’s the time I play with kids not in my age ( age 6 to age 12 ) its happiest moment in my life. Now I’m 54 years old and having a family ( 2 boys and a girl ) Last night we have a meeting with my kids that we should have family time and I’m so happy they agree our schedule every last Sunday after church I’m impassioned waiting this 24th of May thank you for your blog and your website I ask you permission that this article to be used as my material in our coming events.
    I agree that children are only young once so I need to make quality time with them. Being a father to my children I was task to do my duty to them. Thanks again

  11. In our church we have a custom that once a week we should have something we call Family Hour. Well it is not limited to once a week, it can be done as much as once a day if desired. It is the time where a family is together and all of its members are present to hear advice that officers of our church distribute to every family unit.

    It is a time where we can share stories of our day and our experiences and we can hear advice from our family. Well it varies according to the family’s preference. You can have it when you eat together, or you can have it outside like an outing. What matters is that you hear the advice from the church officers and you manage to have fun.

    1. Glad you could resonate with the post John!

      Sounds like a wonderful idea to have a family hour, whether it’s at home or as you mentioned as a custom in the church. I guess all that matters is that you make some time to spend with your family and connect with one another – isn’t it?

      Yes, you can seek advice from those at the church if you have a family hour there, or listen to one another when you are together at home, or even take advice from the elders in your family.

      Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

  12. This is one thing very close to my heart!

    My parents made sure that no matter how busy we are – classes, sports, friends or anything – dinner should be family time. And yes, it gives opportunity for many things – to share the whole day, to bond over food and just to connect with family. That time was very important for each one of us, serious issues were discussed, a lot of fun was had and just a wonderful way to end the day!

    Also we as children could constantly get the message that we are always connected with our parents and we can sit together and discuss just anything under the sun. The appreciation, affection and encouragement highlights is something that resonates with me!

    This is a wonderful post! 🙂

    1. Glad it’s close to your heart Hajra!

      It’s nice to learn the wonderful things your parents instilled so rightly in you, as these very lessons are what you are going to carry down the line when you have your kids and a family.

      Similarly, my parents ensured that no matter what we did during the day or where we were- meal times were always on the dinner table- together. And we as kids always loved that, as it was one sure place to be heard and listened to! My younger sister was always the chatter box of the family and ended her meals much after us, keeping us entertained all through our meals 🙂

      You are absolutely right about sharing anything we ever wanted as kids, with our parents. And this happened because we were taught to have a special family time together where we were given the freedom to talk about anything we wished- without holding back. I do consider myself lucky there to have that freedom of speech, which I have seen many people don’t possess or weren’t taught.

      Family time has always been of utmost importance to me, may be because I was taught it’s importance when I was young and have wonderful memories about it.

      Thanks so much for adding more value to the post 🙂

      1. Young ones do talk a lot eh? I am the youngest in three sisters and somehow I was the one talking the most on the dinner table! 🙂 The family time can have so much effect on how a kid develops and grows with the knwledge of having a family bond strengthened everyday!

        1. They sure do, and in you case too- so that just proves it! 🙂

          Spending a few minutes of quality family time is the key factor where the overall development and growth of your kids is concerned. And the dinner table, or sitting on the couch, or just being together anywhere are great ways to build on that special bond of togetherness.

          Thanks for adding to the conversation. 🙂

  13. Harleena – This is an interesting topic and the way you have explained it out here is awesome.

    I always try to make that balance between my work life and my family time, sometimes it proves to be difficult, but the days when I am not able to spend quality time with my daughter and wife are the days I repent later.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the same.

    1. Glad you liked the post Praveen!

      I have always felt the need for spending quality time with my family, thus this post! I guess most of us who are working all the time, do find it tough to take out the much needed family time we would want to take out, due to our work. But we do need to do so by making a deliberate effort to connect with them, even if its a few minutes of quality time. Life is so short and we need to live it to the fullest by not forgetting to connect with who are close to us.

      Thanks for stopping-by. 🙂

  14. Hi Harleena,

    I agree that children are only young once so we need to make quality time with them top priority. Being near our children and actually engaging with them are two different things. I make it a point to teach my son new things often and also instill values in him.

    1. That is absolutely true Justin!

      As parents we need to devote quality family time with them, not just spend time doing nothing. We need to connect with them and feel a little of what they are under going to understand them better, that is what i would really call spending family time with meaning.

      Nice to learn that you do make that sincere effort to spend time with your son and make it a point to teach things or instill values in them. I guess even a little bit of effort from our side goes a long way.

      Thanks for stopping-by. 🙂

  15. Glad you found the post useful and could relate to it Daniel!

    Yes, the time once lost can never be found again, and striking the right balance between work and family is what is needed!

    Thanks for your comment, and do visit the blog again 🙂

  16. This is very true….!! I always believed to maintain a proper balance between home and office….Our family members are also as equally important for us as our JOB is…!! Give ample time to your family….!! Thanks for driving our concern to this valuable topic… 🙂

    Keep it up. 🙂

    Best Wishes Team PC Support

  17. Very true Nancy!

    Children are the first ones to feel the absence of a parent, though they may not be able to voice it often, but their actions speak louder than words! Thanks for commenting 🙂

  18. Welcome to my blog Alison, it is indeed nice of you to stop by and comment!

    I am so glad you liked the blog and post- and could relate to it! Thanks for visiting and please do come back for more stuff 🙂

  19. I love your blog! You made some really important points here!
    Alison Astair

  20. Glad you liked the post and could relate to it! I totally agree that we do need to create the right balance between home and office or else you miss out a lot in life- as the lost time never returns.

    Thanks for visiting my blog Haddock, and do visit again for more stuff!

  21. So true.
    I always believed in striking a proper balance betwen home and office. One should not overshadow the other.

    And I like that Polish Proverb

  22. Welcome to my family blog Deeone!

    Glad you liked the post and could relate to it. Yes, we all go through ups and downs in our lives, some people have the best of everything, while for others it's a different story.

    Time waits for no one, and it is so true that once it passes by- there is nothing left, as no matter how hard you try- you cannot get back that time again.

    Thanks for sharing your story, and am sure whenever you do have kids, you would take that extra care and attention to devote the maximum time with them.

    Thanks so much for your valuable comment!

  23. Wow! This was awesome Harleena!

    I agree 101% on the importance of family time. I grew up in an environment where I didn't have it that much, and even today I can see the effects the lack of it had on my life.

    Each of your points were valid and well explained as to why that time is so important. What so many people don't realize is once that time is gone, you can never get it back. It's gone forever.

    I know more now than ever that I am one of the lucky cases. Since I didn't receive that affection from my mother and father per say, my mother was a bit better than my dad; but it was my grandmother who instilled in me the importance of family time, as well as offered that needed time to me.

    My partner and I don't have any kids in our household as of yet, but we both wish to do so one day. I also think that when that day comes we both will definitely make time for our kids.

    Awesome post! Loved it. It's definitely a must share! Thank you for sharing it with me. 🙂

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