We recommend the following article by Stephen R. Covey, author of the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
It is a very interesting article and we especially like the importance he gives the family in terms of educating our children. This article highlights the crisis in education (consequences of violent changes) and the gap that exists between the school and the families, particularly in terms of the roles the schools are taking in educating our children. Most importantly, he talks about his position of building leaders in our schools and homes to have better school performance. He emphasizes the fact that each child can be their own leader in their decision making to become the person they want to be in the future. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are not the most important thing you learn in school. It is the social skills and the tolerance that will determinate a child’s success in the future.
Importance of Family Time
By: Stephen R. Covey
We are often busy and sometimes it is hard to keep a balance between work, school, and other activities to spend time with our families. We want to give a lot of importance to this topic considering how crucial it is to spend time with your children in order to promote a healthy development, social emotional wellbeing, and social skills.
Child Psychiatrist Gail Fernandez, MD confirms that “children from birth to adulthood need time and attention from their parents” The interaction that children have with their parents while they are growing up is crucial for every “kid’s mental health and adjustment to life”.
Spending quality time with your children will benefit everyone in different ways: your children will feel more loved; they will be able to model your behavior; you can observe and learn about your children’s strengths and weaknesses in order to better guide them; you can both take advantage of different opportunities for conversation; it will give you the chance to build stronger bonds between you and your children; and more.
When we say quality time we are talking about that time you spend with your children where you can both enjoy a specific activity together, one that interest you all while showing full engagement from both sides. It’s not only about having fun, but about learning from each other and sharing experiences, thoughts, and feelings.
The organization Building Blocks for a Healthier Community approves that “the whole point of spending time with your children is to share your own values, beliefs, and plans with your child” Conversations becomes one of the most important “quality time” activities, withgood and active talking and listening.
Conversations can happen anywhere, but there is certainly a long list of activities that we can recommend you to do with your children that will promote the quality time we are looking for:
– Create a family night: watch a movie together, camp outside or inside, read stories, order in.
– Let your child choose his or her interests: listen to your child’s ideas on what you can do together based on his/her interests.
– Assign family responsibilities: share daily chores like feeding the pet, watering the plants, or setting the table.
– Have any meal together: this is a perfect moment to have great conversations and share experiences and feelings.
– Read together: this could happen at any time of the day or before bed time. Read to your child, or he/she can read to you.
– Do things together: play, eat, read, and exercise together.
– Learn and share hobbies: ask your child what they like to do and get involved.
– Spend time playing: board games, arts and crafts, pretend play, dance, and sing.
– Go out with the family: go to concerts, movies, shows, fairs, and parks.
