Time spent together as a family is one of the best investments you can make to maintain a strong family bond. Children thrive in a loving, supportive, and close-knit family because of the sense of security, belonging, and protection they feel there.
Many Singaporean parents may find it difficult to spend quality time with their children due to the country’s demanding job and stressful educational commitments. In fact, according to a poll conducted by The Straits Times in 2015, Singaporeans’ topmost desire was to spend more time with their families.
Families can unintentionally grow apart due to late-night job and school commitments, socializing with peers, and relying on gadgets.
Having time off from school might be a great way to bond with loved ones. No matter how old or young your kids are, this time together is perfect to spend doing things as a family that will help you all grow closer and build memories that will last a lifetime. Concurrently, parents will have the opportunity to teach their children valuable lessons, instill moral principles, and pass on their insights and experiences.
No matter how old your kids are, you can always find enjoyable methods to bond with them. Here are five options to consider depending on your kids’ ages.
1. Sharing a meal as a family
As the old adage goes , “A family that eats together, stays together.”
Although this saying may be as easy and common as it may sound, it’s crucial for Singaporean families to keep in mind. Today’s parents and children often have demanding schedules, making it difficult to sit down together for a meal. With this, a Singaporean tradition called Eat With Your Family Day was created to address this issue by mandating that all after-school and work activities halt at 5 o’clock so that families can sit down to a meal together.
Scheduling family dinners and making family time a priority helps families grow closer together and improves communication between parents and children. Spending time together as a family is priceless since it allows you to bond with your partner and kids while also learning about their worlds and sharing in their joys and sorrows. You can be there for your loved ones every step of the way.
The best way to accomplish this is to establish specific expectations. In other words, put the phone away while eating. Family members can be motivated to eat together more regularly by planning periodic restaurant outings as treats. When eating at home, you might make an effort to eat more healthfully or cook meals together.
2. Engaging in sensory pursuits
To discover and learn about the world, young children rely heavily on their senses. This is why it’s beneficial for children’s physical, mental, and emotional growth to engage in activities that stimulate their senses of sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, motion, equilibrium, and hearing.
Children’s imaginations can run wild while they gain exposure to abstract mathematical concepts like rhythm and speed through sensory activities like listening to music and participating in physical expressions like dancing. Because parents can participate in such activities while carrying their newborns, even the youngest children can reap the benefits.
Kids can learn about new colors, shapes, materials, and textures in a fun and engaging way through art-based activities. Through the process of making art, they are also able to communicate their thoughts and feelings.
Typically, a child’s parents serve as their first educators. By sharing in these pursuits with your kids, you’ll get a glimpse into their imaginative world and gain insight into how they process information and make decisions.
Keep in mind that the goal of these exercises is to encourage your kids, not restrict them. This means it’s acceptable to color the sky with fish that are hexagonal in shape or to draw purple elephants.
3. Learning financial matters
If your children are 7 up to 13 years old, they are at a stage where they can begin to handle pocket money, and this is a great time to begin teaching them about basic money management.
Since financial literacy is not typically taught in schools, parents may make a significant difference in their children’s outlook on money by teaching them the fundamentals at a young age. Your long-term financial well-being as an adult will benefit from teaching your children about saving, investing, and risk management from an early age.
Your child can learn the value of saving by putting aside a portion of his or her allowance in order to purchase a more expensive toy or game. Your child will have to make some tough calls along the route to saving, but it will be worth it in the end. This will prepare them for the realities of the workforce and teach them the value of delaying gratification.
Reading up on a sport or a snack that the whole family enjoys might be a fun way to teach your youngster the basics of investing. You may now begin discussing such business tenets as companies, rivals, sales, expenses, and profits. These are basic considerations for each investor.
Teaching your child about financial security is the most cutting-edge lesson you can give them. You may begin by discussing how insurance serves to safeguard both individuals and their possessions. Use the fact that your kid gets a new toy because of saving money to demonstrate the concept. Talk to your kid about how much they’d miss the item if it were broken or lost, and see if they’d be prepared to pay a small percentage of the price to make sure you’d replace it if that happened.
4. Participating in charity organization
There are numerous positive outcomes for families who volunteer together. Volunteering together as a family strengthens your connection in ways that entertainment or learning can’t.
Involving the whole family in volunteer work can make the experience more meaningful. Your participation in a humbling and rewarding experience, as well as the forging of shared ideals within your family, will foster deep and lasting bonds.
To get started on this path, families should discuss the issues that are most important to them. Once a group has made a choice together, they must work together to support one another and advance their purpose.
Families strengthen their bonds with one another while also doing good for society and the community.
5. Taking a family trip
Your kids will probably start getting really occupied with life after they become twenty-one. As a result, kids will be spending less time at home and with you.
Taking a trip as a family is a great way to spend quality time together, relax from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and share in the wonders of the world.
The topics of conversation will also change significantly now that you’re older. You can talk to one another like grownups about things like your plans for retirement or your children’s future schooling, careers, marriages, or investments.
Do something to strengthen your relationships at home
No matter how old your kids are, you can always find quality time to spend with them.Spending quality time with your family is essential to building strong relationships. Taking the time to share activities together, such as a game night, a movie night, or simply just talking and listening to each other, can help strengthen the bond between family members. Don’t forget to make memories and laugh a lot while you’re at it!
We should all take steps to create healthy relationships with them because we know that they are vital.