A craving for ‘ Family Time’ 

 ‘ Family Time’ #timesquare

What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare… the opening lines of the poem “Leisure”  is a perfect  indication of today’s lifestyle.

Very true! In today’s world, where each one of us is busy, in the rat race of life, one seldom finds time for family or nature. We begin our day in a mad rush, live through the day – trying to prove Darwin’s law of “the survival of the fittest”, at every step, and facing the pressure of various deadlines  like paying fees, bills, submitting reports, write ups, minutes…whatever, as if there was no tomorrow!

At the end of the day, we reach home, generally late, tired, exhausted and mentally preoccupied. And thanks to technology – we end up carrying our work, colleagues and friends home!

In the bargain, family time has taken a back seat in most homes. Children are busy with their gadgets, parents  are also are busy, at times connecting with people across the globe, neglecting the near and dear ones, who are at an arm’s reach…  I am sure many of us can relate to this – especially in families with grown up kids.

 This is a very unhealthy situation, when people staying under one roof called home, fail to connect and communicate with one another, each one, lost in their own world. This leaves many of us, with a craving –  yes, a craving for family time!!

One must make a conscious effort, towards spending some quality time with family – a time when all the members of the family are on the same page, sharing their anxieties and achievements of the day, however big or small.

Here are some guidelines :

# to begin with, a minimum of 30 minute gadget free time! Not even televisions!!

# encourage children to talk about their day, favorite game, subject,teacher etc

# play some games – indoor or outdoors

# plan for trips to the beach or parks during weekends

# plan for family getaways, picnics etc during vacations

# create a daddy time slot – kids love it…

# help one another in family chores like helping in the kitchen, gardening,cleaning the car,doing school projects etc

# relive special childhood memories and share it with your family

Please do share your experiences and ideas. 

P.S. Sorry for a long post!

Have a great time with your loved ones…