Family Fitness
JUST DO SOMETHING
The most common lament I hear from parents is that their children grow up “so quickly.” While it is true that they grow and develop every day, children actually do go through a rather extended childhood these days. The childhood stage is much longer than it was just 100 years ago, when most kids would leave the house and take care of themselves fairly early in their teens. The trick lies in participating with your children through every phase of their development. Do things with them. Spend time with them.
Interactive activities are the best. Hands on activities, sports and fitness activities, arts and crafts, and just general play all fit the bill perfectly. Television, movies, and most other forms of spectator entertainment are the least productive options.
Many parents say that they do not get to spend a lot of time with their children, but the time they do spend is “quality” time. Children need your time. They need you to pay attention to them. They need you to endlessly watch them, to play with them, to talk to them, to answer their questions, to teach them various skills, and to just do things with them.
To a child, it is all quality time, as long as you are paying attention to them and interacting with them.
If you were to actually keep a log of the number of hours that you spend interacting with your child in a year, you will likely be surprised at how few hours per day the average is. If it seems as though they are growing up too quickly it may simply be that you aren’t spending as much time with them as you, and they, would like.
Your children are going to grow up whether you spend time with them or not. They need your influence; in fact they are desperate for it. So, here’s the good news. You don’t have to do it all at once. It doesn’t take a massive change in order for there to be an improvement. Five minutes here and there adds up. For instance, five minutes of family time before a meal can quickly become the highlight of the day. The time could be spent throwing a ball, practicing checkers, learning a song, or in any form of play. Often, this play time will be such a hit that it will last longer than the allotted time. Make whatever schedule adjustments are necessary.
Of course, very few of us have the freedom to spend all day every day with our children, and many parents do not have that desire, either. But if we want our children to grow up with our values, living in a better world and taking better care of it than we did, we must make time for them. Family time is one of the highlights of the day. Your children are your greatest legacy, your biggest responsibility, and your truest reflection. Invest your time and energy into your children; you will reap the dividends for the rest of your life, as will they for the rest of theirs. Teach them, show them, share with them, watch them, nurture them, and play with them.
The greatest love you can show your children is the time you spend with them.
About Dr Doug Graham
Dr. Douglas Graham, a lifetime athlete and raw fooder since 1978, is an advisor to world-class athletes and trainers from around the globe. He has worked professionally with top performers from almost every sport and every field of entertainment, including such notables as tennis legend Martina Navratilova, NBA pro basketball player Ronnie Grandison, track Olympic sprinter Doug Dickinson, pro women's soccer player Callie Withers, championship bodybuilder Kenneth G. Williams, Chicken Soup for the Soul coauthor Mark Victor Hansen, and actress Demi Moore.