Between working, cleaning, school, and sleeping, it can be hard to clear you schedule for fun family activities. Sometimes it can seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day to have fun with your children. Therefore, it’s important to eliminate the unnecessary time wasters in your life to increase your free time. You can also include your children in your daily chores by making them into games. If you examine your schedule carefully, you’ll find that you, too, can create free time from chaos.
StepsMethod 1Method 1 of 3:Managing Your Schedule
1Write down what you and your family members did last week. Use a blank sheet of paper or a weekly calendar. Include your work schedule, family activities, time spent watching TV, and your daily commute. Be brutally honest with your schedule, even if you don’t like what you see. Examine it to identify what you and your family spend the most time doing. For example:Write down what time you and your family members woke up every day.Note when you commute to work and how long you spend at work.Make a list of the things you and your family did after work each day, such as extracurricular activities, housework, and running errands.
2Identify time sinks. You can create more free time for you and your family by eliminating or reducing time wasting activities.X To identify these activities, try sitting down as a family and identifying things that you all do that might be considered time sinks or time wasters.XExpert Source
Sydney AxelrodCertified Life CoachExpert Interview. 30 June 2020.Try asking your significant other and kids, “What things do you think occupy the majority of your free time? What are your biggest time wasters?” Then, write down what everyone says.After you have a list of everyone’s time sinks, work together to find ways to reduce or eliminate time sinks. For example, if your significant other says that he or she spends a lot of time organizing the family room at the end of the night, then you might suggest that organizing the family room become a family activity. This will cut down on the time it takes your significant other to organize the room and it might be a good opportunity for your family to work together as a team.Also, keep in mind that everyone needs some alone time to relax. While you might see your teenage son’s after-school television time as a time waster, he might view this as an important part of his daily winding down routine.
3Create a new weekly schedule with group activities. Now that you’ve eliminated the time-wasters in your life, you’ll have hours to dedicate to family activities. Starting with a blank sheet of paper, write down all of your time commitments. Next, fill in the schedule information for your other family members. Fill your free time by scheduling family activities wherever you can.XExpert SourceSydney AxelrodCertified Life CoachExpert Interview. 30 June 2020.Try to aim for about an hour of family time on weeknights and a little more time on the weekend.Have your children help choose the activities you’ll do. This will help keep them interested.Avoid scheduling too many taxing family activities in a row. For example, if you go to the zoo on a Saturday afternoon, have a relaxing movie night on Tuesday evening.Method 2Method 2 of 3:Finding Group Activities
1Consider your family’s interests. Make sure you plan family outings that everyone will enjoy. Choose activities that all of your children are excited about, regardless of their age. If you have a teenaged child that doesn’t seem excited about group outings, renew their interest by allowing them to pick the activity. Some examples of age-inclusive events include:Going on a weekend trip to a nearby tourist attractionGoing to a soccer gameWorking on a home project togetherX
2Check your city website for activities. Most cities and towns have well-maintained websites listing free and cheap activities for families. You can also find coupons for local museums and restaurants. If you can’t think of anything to do with your children, look on that website for inspiration. City-hosted family friendly events include:CarnivalsHoliday festivalsPetting zoosBook fairs
3Do something outside. Between school and working, the chances are good that you and your child spend a lot of time inside. Improve your health and your mood by spending time outside together. Take a walk, play a game of tag, play hopscotch, or throw a football around.If you don’t have a yard, find a nearby park to spend time in.If you have time, take your kids camping to maximize their time outside.
4Take your kids to a competitive event. Competitive events are exciting to attend and might foster a lifelong passion in your child. Find events that are based off of mutual interests. For example, if you both enjoy Bruce Lee movies, attend a martial arts competition. Some other events include:Sports gamesXDance competitionsChili cook-offsShort film competitionsMethod 3Method 3 of 3:Incorporating Family Time into Your Daily Routine
1Involve your children in your chores. If you spend hours a day working on your home, try involving your children and making it a fun family activity. For example, have your children help you make dinner. Let them choose the recipe (within reason), stir the bowl, and sample the final product. They’ll learn how to cook and you’ll get to spend quality time with your kids. Some other examples include:Turning house cleaning into a game by assigning points and prizesPlanting and maintaining a garden togetherDoing a timed ten-minute tidy of the house with treats as rewardsX
2Take advantage of Saturdays. If you don’t work on Saturdays, set that day aside for family activities. Spend the day playing outside with your kids and grilling burgers. Alternatively, go on a day trip to a nearby tourist location. This will get your kids out of the house and teach them about their community. Some other Saturday activities include:Going to the closest beach or national park to spend time outdoorsVisiting a fire station and learning about being a firemanXGoing to an art or science museumDoing volunteer work with your children
3Start a family hobby. Find something that everyone is interested in and spend some time doing it every week. You will get to spend valuable time with your children while teaching them a skill or fostering an interest. For example:If your children are interested in computer games, try building a simple game together.If your child enjoys cooking, take a series of family cooking classes.If your son or daughter enjoys playing with electronics, join a robotics club together.
4Create a comfortable relaxing space for teenagers. Most teenagers aren’t interested in family activities or day trips. However, you probably still want to spend quality time with your child. To do so, create a welcoming, comfortable space that’s perfect for hanging out and talking.X In this spot, you and your teenager can have a snack, do homework, or just chat.For example, add pillows to the chairs at your kitchen table to make them more inviting. Your teenager can hang out and do homework while you cook.Make sure the space is clean and inviting. If the space is cluttered, your teenager may not want to spend time there.Let your teenager make design choices when arranging the space to foster their interest.
