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Make Time -- Don't mark
time with your young adolescent
Spend quality time with your teen
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Family Matters Archive
Is
your family time-starved? Are you always trying to get things done when
the reality is that one is never done? Over and over again, young
adolescents say that what they would really like is more time with their
parents, not more things in their lives. Here are several
easy-to-implement tips that will give you more time to spend with your
young adolescent.
1. Less is more. Do less. On the weekends
don't make each day a 24 hour marathon. Plan to accomplish one thing - do
the laundry, buy the groceries or clean the apartment - and plan on some
time for the entire family to do something together.
2.
Don't divide to conquer. While it may be more efficient for dad to go to
the grocery store while mom washes the car, and the kids do homework, that
means that no one is working together. If Suzy goes to the store with her
parent, she will not only be helping and making a contribution to the
family, but will miss out on an opportunity to spend essential time with
that parent.
3. NO, NO, NO. Say yes only to those requests
that you genuinely want to do. Remember that your young adolescent is
wathing you to see how you respond to multiple requests and allocate your
time. Ask yourself, "If I get involved in this project, how will it impact
my family?"
4. Yes, Yes, Yes. Say yes to those activities
that model the kind of involvement you want your young adolescent to
emulate, and get them involved as well. Turn off the TV on weekends so you
can just sit around and play a game and talk.
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