Remember that old Harry Chapin song “Cats in The Cradle”? You know, the one about the kid desperately trying to spend more time with his dad, who is always busy and can’t find the time to watch his kid grow up. Then, when the dad finally gets older and wants to hang out with his son, he is too busy to find the time to see his dad. The circle is complete.
This cautionary tale is especially true in this day and age when parents usually pursue careers that have them working overtime to get even close to a promotion. And while we’re out and about pursuing their goals, their kids find fun in video games and violent TV shows, completely losing a grip on reality.
No matter how deep your career ambition goes, don’t be that parent. Having a child is a wonderful gift and you should be able to appreciate it. Your kids won’t care for excuses, they’ll only care about the fact that their mom or dad isn’t there to see their big game or recital.
In this article, we are going to teach you a few ways to make some time in your hectic schedule to be there for your kids as they grow up.
Table of Contents
Cut Down On the Housework
When not knee-deep in work documents, parents tend to spend their time doing house chores like cleaning the home. Remember, the chores won’t go anywhere. If you do find some time, spend it with your kids. Cleaning your home will only leave you tired, irritable, and emotionally unavailable for your kids.
If you don’t think you can handle all of the house chores on your own, don’t be ashamed to hire a local cleaning service such as Blue Spruce Maids. Cleaning services will do all those chores twice as fast and ten times as efficiently as you ever could. And you can spend all that free time with your kids during their formative years.
Involve Your Kids in Housework
Sometimes some chores will require you to put in the effort. Cleaning up the attic or holding a garage sale would be so much more fun if you involved your kids. Sure, you may not be as efficient with them running around, but you’ll get to spend some time with them and they would surely appreciate being more involved. You can have them help fold laundry, prepare sandwiches for school tomorrow or do some work around the yard.
Work from Home
Some companies give you a choice of working from home instead of the office. If this benefit is available to you, use it as much as you can. While this can be distracting, teaching your kids to respect your boundaries while working from home will give you more time to spend with them during your breaks. If there are no such benefits at your office, ask if you could start work earlier so you can leave for home earlier and spend time with your kids in the afternoon.
Cook for Several Days
Cooking food is another task that takes up most of your free time, especially if you’re cooking for the entire family. Instead, try to cook bigger meals or more meals you can spread throughout the week. While you might be busier one day, you’ll have more time to spend with your kids the next day.
Spending time with family is important, and anything you can do to increase the quality time you have with your family, you will be grateful for in the coming years.
