How I'm Spending Quality Time With Family

Like any other relationship, connection with those you love is a two-way street. Connecting with your spouse, children, and relatives means giving them the time and attention they need to feel loved by you. But it also means making an effort to spend quality time with your family members.

With my Father passing away last year, I've been trying to have a healthier relationship with those I love. I'm by no means a relationship expert. However, I want to document what I'm doing in hopes of helping others with ideas and the like.

Today I feel families are under so many pressures that they often don't make an effort to create memorable moments—but your loved ones deserve this attention! This can be a challenge if you're a busy parent or struggling in some other way in life—but it's essential to take these steps now so your family members know how much they are loved.

What Does It Mean To Spend Quality Time Together

Spending quality time means planning your time with your partner, kids, and those important to you.

Quality time is not just a few minutes of conversation. It's not just a few minutes of playing a game together. And it's definitely not just a few minutes of watching a movie or eating together. I like to think about it as spending time on a repetitive basis. Meaning over and over again. The memories I remember of my dad are the ones we did consistently. Such as a weekly phone call talking about life after moving out and going to college.

When you spend quality time with your loved ones, you have to focus on them as individuals—and what makes them unique. Try to do this when spending quality time with each family member. That will help build great relationships between the members of your household.

What Are Examples Of Quality Time?

Like any other relationship, the only way to connect with your family is by giving them your time and attention. This may seem like a no-brainer, but many people are so busy with work or other obligations that they don't have time for their families. If this sounds like you, make it a priority to spend quality time with them as much as possible.

Here are ways to spend quality time ideas that we do our best to keep consistent with:

• Regular date night
• Weekend getaway
• Active activities
• Dinner time

Okay, now let me break each one down.

Regular Date Night

A regular date night is super important! That face-to-face time together keeps the relationship going.

When couples spend quality time together¹, they experience a greater sense of happiness and less stress. One of the most important relationship tips is to include a date night in your weekly routine. It can be hard to stay connected weekly and have a date night. I know this isn't easy when you throw kids in the mix and other life goals.

According to the National Marriage Project, spending weekly "date nights" with your partner will make your relationship seem more exciting and helps prevent boredom². It also lowers the probability of divorce, improves your sex life, and increases healthy communication.

I know from seeing my family members grow apart and in their relationships is came down to boredom and always putting the kids first. You and your spouse need to have quality time too.

Weekend Getaway

While long holidays are excellent for quality time, a short getaway will also do the trick. Once you have a weekend or an extended weekend, hunt for a location you both want to see, and then just get away. All you need is a couple of days.

We often make weekend getaways that include camping. With busy schedules and always wanting to be connected to a device, camping significantly slows life down. We try to be creative in picking a location where there isn't excellent cell service. That way, we spend our full attention on one another, playing board games, exploring the area, and cooking together. There are lots of laughs and good memories together from our camping trips.

Active Activities

Active activities come in high on the list for me. Activities such as:

• Hiking
• Tennis
• Basketball
• Household chores
• Soccer
• Gardening

The list can go on and on. I really love all these activities with my kids and spouse as we have to work through things together. We are learning new things. And that takes time and patience. However, it can also be a fun time all around. My son and I have spent hours playing tennis, and my spouse loves to take us all hiking. These challenge us, and we grow together because of it.

Dinner Time

Before you begin, it's important to note that family dinners don't always have to be elaborate or involve cooking. You can still enjoy a fulfilling meal and make memories by eating at a restaurant or going on walks together. It's also important to note that no matter how old your kids are, they should always feel welcome at family dinners. If they're too busy with their own lives, then take turns meeting up somewhere else so that everyone has the opportunity to spend time together as a family unit.

Family dinnertime is one of the essential parts of quality time spent with family members. When you sit down to dinner together, it's like a mini-vacation from your day-to-day life. You get to spend an hour together as a group and have a chance to share information about what's going on in each other's lives. In addition, dining together serves as an opportunity for families who don't live nearby to meet and bond over food and conversation.

This has been huge for me. Growing up, my parents were always calling us to dinner. And it was a great time to all be together. Now with my own little family, it's fun to hear the kids talk about their day and for them to try new food or complain about it, haha.

What Do You Get Out Of The Relationships?

Being around your family, you get to know each other better. You learn their likes, dislikes, and interests. As a result of learning more about them, the members of your family can communicate more effectively and have a healthy relationship with one another.

You also learn to resolve conflicts effectively by determining them as soon as possible, instead of letting them build up until they become too big for anyone to deal with alone. Resolving issues early on makes it easier for everyone involved because there isn't much tension left behind from unresolved problems that would otherwise cause issues later on down the road.

Learning how to trust each other is another significant benefit of spending quality time together as a family unit. Because this allows each member to feel comfortable sharing their true thoughts and feelings without feeling judged by others.

Final Thoughts

And remember, it's not always the big moments that matter —the little ones. The more time you spend together as a family unit, the closer you will become to each other. The more memorable your life will be when you look back on it years later.

It's easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of life, with our heads down and busy at work, thinking of ways to improve our careers and businesses. Yet one of the most critical aspects of achieving success is something many of us tend to forget: investing time into our relationships. We often neglect our loved ones for one reason or another. But if you stop and consider it, you will soon discover that most of these relationships will bring significant benefits to your life. Invest in more quality time.