Parenting

Do We Value Our Family Time?

Family time is something we all say we value, but few experience.

Surveys show that most families rate time together a number one priority. However, the same surveys show that fathers spend only a few minutes a day with their children. "In his book, If I Were Starting My Family Again, John Drescher wrote about a study of 300 seventh- and eighth-grade boys who kept detailed records of how much time their fathers actually spent with them over a two-week period. Most saw their father only at the dinner table. A number didn't see their fathers for days at a time. The average time father and son were alone together was seven and one-half minutes a week.

There are several "excuses" that we use to justify our lack of time together as families:


1. We excuse ourselves by saying, "We don't spend much time together, but our time is quality time." The problem with this argument is that quality time cannot exist apart from quantities of time.
2. Another argument we use is, "My kids are little. If I'm not around much for the first few years it won't matter." The problem here is that many opportunities present themselves only once and only for a moment. A child is only two for one year. Toddlers do not remain toddlers for long. We must seize every opportunity to be together because none of us knows which moments are going to be locked forever into a child's memory. And none of us knows which experiences will mark turning points in a child's life.
3. A third excuse is, "I'll make it up to them later. There's plenty of time. I'll build my career now so that when they're older we'll have plenty of money to spend on activities we all enjoy." This argument is foolish. Who really believes that we'll have more time in a few years than we have now. Busy lifestyles don't change when we reach a certain age; they just become more deeply ingrained. We all have twenty-four hours in a day and what we do with them tells what is important to us.

If we have no time for our children while they are young, they likely will have no time for us when we are old. We need to be making the most of very opportunity (Ephesians 5:16). Enjoy each other now; be a part of our children's lives; make family time a priority. Schedule plenty of time together so quality experiences can happen. Don't postpone the imperative for something that is only important. Don't say, "I'll make it up to you later." Spend the time with your loved ones today.

More Scriptures on Family Time
Following the links below will take you straight to the Bible text:

Proverbs 22:6 -Train up a child...
Ephesians 6:4 -The training and instruction of the Lord.
Colossians 3:21 -...Lest children become discouraged.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9 -So that your children may fear the Lord.
Psalm 127:3-5 -Children a reward.
Proverbs 6:20-23 -The way to life.
I Thessalonians 2:11-12 -Live lives worthy of God.
Psalm 78:4-7 -Tell the next generation.

taken from www.gospelcom.net