Our lives are so fast and furiously busy these days that spending time together as a family can seem impossible to fit in. Both Tobes and I work full time (The Witchlings are expensive!) and believe me, the time we get to spend as a family is beyong price. This is especially true at the moment as we are separated from our Witchlings by a 2.5 hour drive. So here are my pearls of wisdom to help you make the most of every precious moment.

1. Plan Ahead
Shop online and have it delivered. Put the duster down and leave re-grouting the bathroom until another time. Basically, if you know your whole family will all be in the same house (or at least in the same town!) at the same time on Saturday, you should plan to make the most of it. Doing household chores or trudging around the supermarket is not a happy use of time that could be spent with family. It doesn’t really matter what you do together though. Just make certain that everyone knows that for a few hours on the given day you will be doing something together as a family. If you’re a sporty outdoors type family then leap onto a train and head for the hills for a walk together. Or if you’re not, get a family DVD, a big bowl of popcorn and close the curtains for family home cinema.

Let your family know how much you value the time you get to spend together and plan activities you can share in the future. Making these plans is a great way to spend some family time in and of itself!

2. Make ‘Family Time’ a top priority.
Don’t let the time bandits steal your time! If you don’t block off some time to spend together as a family and guard it jealously, then you can find it being stolen away by time bandits such as must see TV shows, checking eBay auctions, phone calls, computer games, birthday parties, tennis club, last minute shopping for a replacement school tie… the list is endless. These are all things that seem vitally important to someone or other in my family at most given points of the day. But when it’s family time, nothing is allowed to get in the way.

A great way to kick this off is to ensure as often as possible that you all eat as a family, sitting at the table, sharing the day’s news over an evening meal. No iPods, Gameboys, mobile phones or lap tops allowed!

3. Focus
So you’ve planned to spend some family time together. You’ve prioritized the time so that the time bandits are held at bay for a few hours. Now to make it count!

Research shows that even tiny babies can sense and acknowledge time when they are engaged with fully. Undivided attention is our key phrase here. From the moment they are born, nothing will give your child more pleasure than your undivided attention.

There are so many demands on our time that prioritising family time can seem impossible to begin with, but if you can get everyone in your family to appreciate how important it is and how good it makes everyone feel then it gets a little easier. Then, once everyone is used to helping to prioritize family time, it somehow becomes part of everyday life. A pleasant ritual that can enrich your family immeasurably.

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