Life can get a little hectic sometimes, but it’s important that we spend and make time for our children because if you too much time is spent away from them, they’ll notice it. This can end up having a resentment later on in life if you’re missing out on important life events, so here’s how to be attentive to your kids as a busy parent.
Learn To Say No
It can be pretty easy to say yes to everything because many of us are people pleasers. We don’t want to let people down and whether that’s in work or your to do with your social life, it’s sometimes just simpler to say yes rather than saying no. However, if you commit yourself to too much then you risk spreading yourself too thin and it’s your personal life that will suffer. It’s a good idea to take a look at your diary whenever someone asks if they can go for coffee or dinner or if your boss tells you to take on another project. If you have too much going on already, then learn to say no. It may be easier said than done, but you don’t want to risk sacrificing valuable time with your loved ones, especially if your children are young.
Discuss Flexible Working
Even a workaholic needs a break, and as life progresses, your priorities and responsibilities will change with it, whether you want it to or not. With children, you now have more unexpected things that happen. Perhaps they fall ill at school, or they have school holidays coming up. Suddenly, you need to be there and at home, and this can be difficult for those who have full-time jobs. This is why it’s worth discussing with your company about doing flexible working. It can be a great way of having a bit of extra flexibility to take time away from the office when needed and to work from home or remotely.
Take Advantage Of Technology
Technology is a wonderful thing, and it has improved our quality of lives in so many ways. And you can use it to help keep the relationship between you and your children consistent, even if you can’t be there physically. Social media platforms are great for keeping up to date with what they’re up to if you are away for a longer period of time than normal. You also have messaging services like Facetime and Skype, which help with talking face to face. If you want to keep track of what your children are up to, there are always apps like Family Orbit that are worth trying out. You can learn more about it on their website, and it’s a great way of monitoring their location and having a say in what they can see and what they can’t see.
Be Fully Invested When You’re With Them
Children can be very understanding and can also be very forgiving. However, it’s important to not take advantage of that trust, so when you are spending time with them, ensure you have fully invested it in. Don’t do things in half-measure and don’t be preoccupied with other things like your phone as an example. Remove any distractions and commit yourself fully to the time you are spending with your children. It’s these moments that your children will remember and will make up for the times that you are away. Be present in that moment at all times!
Try To Have At Least One Meal Together
Not every family has the ability to eat together, but it’s important that you try to have at least one meal together each day. Whether it’s easier to do that in the morning or in the evening is up to you, but it’s usually around the dining table, where conversations and relationships are made. It can help you start off or end the day by discussing it with your nearest and dearest. The line of communication becomes more open because of it, and you’ll notice that your children will speak more openly to you about things that have happened or seem to be affecting them.
Being attentive to your kids as busy parents is tough, but it’s something you just have to adapt and be able to do. Learn to say no at times when you are getting too busy that you sacrifice time away from your children. Discuss the idea of flexible working with your workplace, and you may be surprised by how they can adapt to suit your needs.
