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One of the biggest regrets we all have as parents is the feeling that we don’t spend as much time with our children as much as we’d like. There are so many different components to life that we feel needs completing that it’s usually to the detriment of our health and wellness. But while spending time with our children shouldn’t be on the list of things we have to do, what can we do to ensure that we give our children the time that they really need?

 

Don’t Feel Guilty About TV Time

There is certainly an argument for and against sitting down and watching television with your children. If you do it too much it’s not healthy. But when you have such a busy week that you’ve got to remember that sitting down with your children is better than absolutely nothing. These days we are all stretched beyond our capabilities, even our children. And we have to remember the importance of proper downtime. Make it a goal to sit down and watch, at the very least, a movie over the weekend. The great thing is now that there are so many different services out there, from Netflix to IPTV, that you can find something that’s classed as worthwhile family watching. And Troypoint’s IPTV guide can get you started. When we don’t have much of an opportunity to spend time with our children we have to make the most of what we have at our disposal. That television in the middle of the living room can be used to your advantage.

 

Helping Them With Their Homework

While we shouldn’t be doing their homework for them we have to think about the overriding message that we communicate to our children through our actions. Sitting down and spending time with them on tasks that they find incredibly frustrating can cause us to think about throwing a desk against the wall but when we start to make time to help our children with the things they find difficult this will reinforce the message that we are there for them. And also when you think about doing homework it’s not just about sitting down at a desk doing hard sums. There is a lot to be said for incorporating other learning methods. If your child is struggling with learning a specific formula or facts, turn it into a game or make a song out of it. There are so many different things that you can do to help your child develop their skills. You may not view this as quality time but this is better than no time with them at all.

 

When we think we have no time to spend with our children we have to focus on the quality instead of the quantity. Even if you sit down with your child to watch television or you help them do their homework, which can be an incredibly stressful task, it’s still quality time working towards a goal that will improve their life. And while we can feel that we don’t have downtime, learning to make downtime for ourselves by building it into our schedule is where we can feel the benefits.