Submitted by: Thomas Lambert

We live in an incredibly fast-paced environment. Parents, whose only wish is to be able to provide better conditions and security for their family, often find themselves juggling two or three jobs simultaneously. Given this situation, we dare ask: can these busy parents still find time to nurture a worthwhile relationship with their kids?

According to West Ridge Academy, the answer is a resounding yes! Despite the apparent lack of time to spend with each other, it is still definitely possible for parents to still have a very loving and caring relationship with the kids.

Below are some key things that busy parents can consider in order to make the best out of their limited time with their children.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDkGFZADTT0[/youtube]

Make sure that the time that you spend with your children is high quality. Since in this situation it is already given that you will not have much time to spend with your kids, then it is imperative that whatever little time that you can manage to spend with them be high quality. As much as possible, eliminate all distractions so you could concentrate on having the best possible time with each other.

It is also important that you discuss what s going on in their lives: such as school updates, their hobbies, their friends, etc. This will allow you to spot some red flags if ever, just in case they might be starting to go with the wrong crowd or messing up with some stuff that’s not good for them. You must take advantage of the opportunity by saying everything that you wish to express to them during these rare times that you are seeing each other. Just be aware that the delivery of the message is also as important as the message itself, as they may turn on you if you happen to be too harsh on them during these particular moments. While you may justify yourself by saying that you are only doing your job as a parent, it is still not a reason to stop treating your kids as human beings first and foremost. In this manner, they will always be respectful not only to you as their parent but also to all the other people that they encounter, because that’s the way that they have been brought up.

Try to have dinner with the entire family every night, if it s possible.

You can have a variety of topics to discuss over dinner. Food has that magical quality of being able to loosen everybody up and make the discussions as informal as possible. Take note however that all family discussions should always be treated as a two-way street. This means that you must also be willing to open up about your life to them if you expect them to be completely up front with you about what’s going on with theirs. Your honesty and transparency in opening up about certain topics to them will surely be appreciated and will gain you valuable trust points with them. To reiterate, you must ensure that all distractions such as TV, radio, mobile phones, or any other outside influences should be set aside while you are having dinner. Only you and your family s voices, stories and laughter should be heard reverberating around the dinner table as much as possible.

West Ridge Academy says that you must look for activities that will allow all of the family members to participate simultaneously. Because of the limited time that you will be able to spend with your family, it s critical that you engage in activities that the entire family can participate. When it comes to these activities, every one in the family should particpate, with no exceptions. You must remember: the family that plays together, stays together.

About the Author: West Ridge Academy offers K-12 classes with a 15 to 1 student teacher ratio and is accredited by the NAAS. West Ridge Academy has been helping youth for almost 50 years with more than 25,000 alumni.

twitter.com/westridgeacad

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=1379696&ca=Business