Do you feel like you are on a hamster wheel with all the family activities? Do you wish you could have a quiet night of connecting as a family? Dr. Leman shares the way to slow down and the reason to slow down with your kids.
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I say it again: parents don’t listen to this advice, and I don’t know why!
It’s time to slow your family down.
Sit down around the dinner table and talk. Play a game.
Smart families look at the calendar and realize time goes by quickly, and their kids grow up fast!
Steps to slow down:
- Start slowing down by looking at your calendar from last year and asking the question, “What was this like? Do I want to do this again?”
- Recognize the problem.
- Revise how your calendar will look this next year.
- Decide what you are willing to give up to get more family time.
In my book It’s Your Kid, Not a Gerbil, I recommend 1 activity per kid per semester.
Making the change will take some determination because once you have your family on this gerbil wheel, kids can get addicted to the rush of all the activity. In the end, your family will benefit from time to communicate, be together, get to know one another and more!
If your kids are still young, you can avoid this rat race.
Remember, the reason people get into it is often they don’t want their kids to fall behind. Ballet and soccer at 3 are not necessary! These kids need to play and be imaginative.
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