Do your kids seem to always want to spend time with their friends over spending time with the family? For kids, why do your parents insist on family time?
This week’s Mom Minute episode on The Mom’s View is about children finding a balance between wanting to spend time with family and friends…
My twins are almost 14, so I still have many more teenage years left to endure with six children. Brooklyn and Bailey still enjoy spending time with the family, but I am noticing they are wanting to spend more and more free time with friends.
As a parent of teenagers, our sincerest prayers are that our children will find good friends who will share and defend common morals and interests. I know that if I push my girls away from their friends and insist that they spend all the time with the family… they are more likely to rebel.
The best thing I can do as a parent is to make my home a place where the kids’ friends want to be, not only because it helps to keep an eye on things, but because I want to have a relationship of trust with their friends as well. Yes, this means more work for us as parents in throwing safe-but-fun activities, but that work will yield dividends in the future when it comes to your children and the friends with whom they want to hang out. Teens want independence, and they will never receive that unless we learn to trust them… and they need to earn it.
For teenagers, it is important to know that the pressure from parents for you to spend more time with the family comes simply because they have invested so much into you, and that they love you. When you spend time with the family, this does not mean your nose is buried in your cell phone texting friends, nor is it glued to the TV or laptop screen. Family time is spent engaged in conversation and fun activities with those who love you most!
The family is the single most important unit in society, and we are all much better off being part of one that loves us and who wants us to be around. That goes for parents and children.
Find time to sit down together and talk about the best ways to balance friend time with family time, and really spend most of the time listening. Between both of you, in an atmosphere of trust and love, you will find the right balance.
Feel free to watch the video below to see my Mom Minute segment on family vs friend time …
What are your thoughts on the balance between family vs friend time? Feel free to leave your responses here…
Happy Parenting!
Are you not doing hairstyles anymore? Have you given that to the girls? While I can identify with your post, being a mom to 6 kids as well, I don’t come to this site for parenting advice, I come here for church hair. Perhaps a different website addy for your parenting preachings? Thanks for considering, DBS
I agree! My oldest daughter is 14 and I’m always trying to balance her friend/alone time with family time. I realize she needs both, but learning to interact with all age groups is a priority.
I’ve noticed how my teenage nieces and nephews seem so tuned out to people and tuned in to electronics and social media. It’s important to know how to use these things, but not at the expense of truly being social, present and invested in the people around us.