Five tips for better quality time with family

Quality time with family is an essential part of cultivating a healthy and happy household environment. In fact, much of a child’s personal development hinges on the time they spend with their family. By carving out dedicated time for one another, family members can strengthen their bonds, learn important values and skills, relieve stress and keep traditions alive.

Granted, finding enough extra time might seem difficult, especially for parents with busy schedules. However, there’s no need to dedicate long hours to have a great time with loved ones. What’s most important is how that time is spent time with them. That being said, it’s best to select fun and enriching activities that the family can all do together.

For anyone who wants to start spending quality time with those nearest and dearest to them, but who needs some inspiration, below are five tips to help get started: 

Read together

Reading is a great activity that any member of the family can engage in. Besides being a good form of entertainment, books impart knowledge while aiding in language development. Parents with younger children can let them select a captivating storybook that can be read together before bed. Older children can choose an exciting novel parents and kids alike can enjoy and have discussions about. Religious families (or even those who aren’t) can also explore the Bible or the Quran for teachable content.

The best part? There are plenty of applications that provide digital copies of favourite books. PDF readers can store hundreds of novels, while apps like Muslim Pro can provide a copy of the whole Quran with one tap. This way, the family always has access to a collection of books that they can all read together.

Family traditions

Many families have a set of traditions that are passed down from one generation to the next. Practising these traditions not only keeps them alive, but also provides the best bonding opportunities. For example, families can bake holiday-specific treats together or take walks to special places. For those who are religious, performing daily prayers together is an important tradition (and the Muslim Pro app comes in handy again with dependable prayer reminders).

For families who don’t have many traditions, it’s never too late to make new ones. They could have a special movie marathon every month or have weekly game nights. They may also opt to practise seasonal traditions, like decorating a Christmas tree in the holiday season.

Be present during mealtimes 

Eating meals together is one of the most effective ways to spend quality time with family. Work may prevent parents from being present during every meal, but it’s still important to share at least one a day (or at least a few times a week). Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, meals are the perfect opportunity to have meaningful conversations with loved ones.

Each member of the family can talk about their feelings and how their day went, or even a favourite TV show. When someone is talking, it’s important to make sure they are given undivided attention. Wholeheartedly listening to one another is one of the best ways to show real care.

Help with schoolwork 

Spending at least an hour a day to help children with their schoolwork is also a great bonding activity. Schoolwork can be a daunting (and sometimes boring) task for many kids, especially when they’re not getting enough support. It helps to get involved in their academic activities, as it shows them that parents are genuinely interested in their personal growth. In turn, this can encourage them to value and enjoy their studies.

While children should be taught to be responsible for their own schoolwork, it’s a great idea to set aside time to help them in simple ways. This could range from teaching them how to solve a particularly difficult maths problem to helping them assemble an art project. Whatever their tasks may be, being there for them can give them the confidence to face all kinds of challenges.

Do housework together

Household chores may not be an appealing activity for most people, but doing these tasks with family can actually make them more enjoyable. It could be fun to create a playlist with each family member’s favourite songs and play it while doing those chores as a team. Time-consuming tasks, like cooking and folding the laundry, can be made easier with some helping hands. Doing chores together can instil a strong sense of teamwork within the family. Children will also learn the importance of contributing to household work and doing their part to help.

Remember, the activities that a family engages in have a deeper meaning to them. Besides providing precious memories, quality time reminds the family that they’ll always be there for one another, no matter what.

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