Making Time for One Another

As an at home educator I understand all too well the need to find or recognize ways in which to bring meaning to each new day’s planning of activities. Some may be under the impression that home schooling families spend plenty of time together and therefore would not need to carve out special time for creating meaningful family moments together. But the truth of the matter is, home schooling families are in many ways just as time constricted as other families. While it may be accurate to say that home schooling parents are able to be physically present with their children more than those parents whose children attend a formal school, the necessary demands of normal life that affect most families are just as prevalent in the everyday lives of home schooling families as they are for others. Parents still have to go to work, some parents go to school themselves (I do), there are household chores and everyday hassles to be maintained and handled, children are many times involved in extracurricular activities and interests, and in many home schooling environments a structured learning routine is kept in place year round. The reality is it can be quite difficult keeping up with everyday obligations and responsibilities while still making time for family sharing and lighthearted togetherness.

As if hectic schedules and making time for separate interests wasn’t enough, the added distraction of various technological media enjoyments that fill the average household and pockets these days can really dig in to whatever time is left in a day to make meaningful moments out of. I know in my household we certainly love the gadgets and the various forms of media entertainment – so much so, that in many ways it is in itself a hobby for us. And this is so for a lot of households these days. We all have our reasons and it is not altogether a negative thing (though it can be if not kept in check), but because of this it is even more pertinent that we carve out real quality time for one another so that we don’t lose sight of our connections, what is truly important to us, and our sense of community – all of which is tied up in real time, in person social contact with those we respect and care for.

There are many ways we can become consciously responsible for creating and managing meaningful and lasting family moments. First of all we need to make a reference calendar that indicates both physically and in our mind what time frames of each day and each upcoming week that is obligated to other duties such as work and school hours /days (for each family member) as well as any other known events such as birthdays and scheduled doctor’s visits. We must also take note of how much time we have both daily and weekly to devote to personal time and entertainment. It doesn’t need to be precise, only estimated so as to gather a general idea of what should be expected, when, and how it may be adjusted to compliment or coincide with the activities of others in the family. We may consider, therefore, whether any of our personal time or entertainment time may work well tied in with that of others in the household. We should then determine on a weekly basis whether any of those activities may be shortened, combined, or done away with altogether for the sake of more important or worthy experiences. It’s all about choice really.

Making a schedule and getting each family member involved in the decision to maintain that schedule can go a long way in motivating everyone to follow the agreed upon routine. It is important to realize that meaningful moments can occur even when everyone is simply gathered in the same shared space to do their own project or study. It is also important to be willing to give up a few minutes of idle “free-time” for the sake of coming together with those who support us most in all we do. Everyone will be closer and happier for having made the time to connect and regenerate with one another. This can only really take place however if the time is spent in a relaxing and non-stressful way. So, the types of things a family decides to do together will have an impact on each person’s mood and mentality toward the time spent together as well as their overall willingness to keep actively participating in such moments together. 

(Will expand on this in a later post.)