How to get out of the ‘rat race’ and make time for family…..It all begins with you. You get up in the morning, make breakfast, feed the kids, get dressed, jump in the car, take them to school, get to work, spend eight hours making money for someone else, get in the car, pick up the kids from school, fix dinner, go over homework and everything needed for next day, fight with kids over bedtime, break up squabbles between siblings, kids are finally sleep and you’re going to take care of some things that will make the next day easier, fall asleep on the couch, alarm rings, you start all over again.
Sound a little familiar??? It’s life but you can add your own spin to it. And that is half the fun! The other half is living it. So what is the most bothersome part of your daily routine? Your job, the commute, fixing breakfast, deciding what to eat for dinner or it’s preparation? Maybe it’s the children’s or your extracurricular activities. Whatever it may be choose just one and work on that.
Let’s say it is dinner each night. Decide what everyone wants for dinner. Choose the top three. Buy the ingredients and together as a family, everyone in the kitchen and make it. Place in ‘take-out’ or pyrex containers with names on it and warm up a meal for dinner each night. For breakfast, in silicone muffin pan mix breakfast foods in the muffin compartments and bake. Each morning pop one out microwave or eat cold. To go even further make each night a definitive night such as Mexican food on Tuesdays, Pizza night on Fridays, etc.
Things that must be done over and over again whether it is daily, weekly, or monthly assign that as a job for everyone so that everyone shares in the responsibility. Add a special night; reading night, game night, movie night, cooking night, or old/new photo night.
When a family member is sad, angry, or confused and it can’t be resolved with a simple hug or ‘sorry’, make time for ‘Family Forum’ where everyone comes together and say their peace and others acknowledge that they hear what is said.
Most importantly, figure out a time frame for everything that is done on a regular basis and try to stay within that time frame. It’s called routine. Routine makes life better!
