Home
>
Parenting
>
Are You Too Busy for Your Kids?

Are You Too Busy for Your Kids?

In his recent newsletter "Happy Kids", parenting expert Michael Grose (yes he is an expert with three kids of his own) said:

Australian parents currently rate achieving work-family balance as their greatest parenting challenge. Currently, 71% of Australian parents say they have difficulty finding time to do the things they enjoy with their children.

So what are the key relationship-builders to focus on when you are busy and life is full on?

A number of different studies show children and young people want three types of interactions with their parents:

Family rituals such as reading to children in bed, shared mealtimes and celebrations. Some activities may come and go but rituals by definition are cut in stone.

One-on-one interactions are vital for relationship building. Whether it is playing a game with a child or having a coffee with a teenager make sure you regularly spend some time with each of your children on their own. This goes double for middle children or those having difficulties in their lives.

Down-time so that spontaneous and fun interactions can occur. Family holidays and lazy Sundays provide opportunities to connect on an informal basis with children. This is particularly important for fathers who tend to communicate best when having some shared fun with their son or daughter.

The challenge for busy people is to carve out some time for these important relationship-building opportunities. Those people who can successfully balance the two spheres of work and family use similar skills at home to those they use at work such as prioritising, delegating and planning ahead. Make family activities a priority and plan around them rather than fitting them in at the end of the day or week when you are tired. It also helps if you get support from home and also have some support and recognition at work that you have a family at home that needs your energy and attention. www.parentingideas.com.au

You Can Turn Your Life Around

You certainly can turn your life around by learning to say 'no', learning how to manage your time and then taking action.

That's right. Everyone tells you how busy and how little time they have, yet most people do nothing to learn the skills that will have a dramatic impact on their work and personal lives.

Cats in the Cradle

For those of you old enough to remember, Harry Chapin recorded a song called "Cats in the Cradle". It was about a young boy whose Dad was always busy working. He never seemed to be available when his son wanted to be with him. Over the years this continued until the boy became an adult. By then his Dad had retired and had time on his hands, however his son had now become too busy to see his Dad. He too was working and had kids. The tables had turned. All of a sudden the Dad realised what he had done. He was too busy caught up in his work and missed out on his son growing up.

The Final Word

Bringing up balanced, positive and well-adjusted children is the most satisfying thing you can ever do. Whatever successes you have had in your life, nothing beats the feeling when you look at your child knowing you have made a major contribution to the way they've turned out. (Also the opposite can be true?if you're child has run off the rails, you may have to take a look in the mirror).

If you have kids and you seriously want to have more time with them, then take action today. There are many simple changes you can make that will free up your time. If you're too bogged down and can't see how, then get some help?contact us.

Whatever you do, don't do nothing. Kids grow up very quickly. I know from personal experience.. My eldest child turned 21 last week and next year my son goes off to high school. I am so grateful that I have played a major role in their upbringing and regardless of how busy my schedule has been, I have always made my family the highest priority.

You can have more work/life balance if you really want to. All it takes are a few changes to the way you currently operate your life.

Remember, nothing changes, if nothing changes.

About The Author

Lorraine specialises in working with businesspeople showing them how to dramatically boost their productivity, reduce the stress and the mess in their lives and have more time for enjoying their life.

www.parentingideas.com.au

custom home cleaning Wilmette ..

In The News:

Scammers create fake Evite invitations that mimic legitimate event emails, requiring users to verify senders and use antivirus software for protection.

The new Apple Watch hypertension feature passively monitors blood pressure patterns over 30 days using sensors to detect chronic high blood pressure signs.

Chrome extension spyware disguised as a free VPN service highlights security risks after it captured private browsing data from trusted sites.

New research shows how fatty acids in cooking oil can safely dissolve and recover silver from circuit boards without harmful chemicals or environmental damage.

The Fox News AI newsletter gives you information on the latest AI technology advancements, and about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Anthropic investigates alarming AI abuse case where hacker automated entire cybercrime campaign using Claude, stealing sensitive data from defense and healthcare firms.

TikTok, Meta and YouTube restrict Charlie Kirk shooting videos with age gates and warnings while X faces criticism for allowing continued circulation.

Cybercriminals use fake troubleshooting websites to trick Mac users into running terminal commands that install Shamos malware through ClickFix tactics.

San Francisco startup Fable launches Showrunner, an AI platform dubbed the 'Netflix of AI' that generates animated episodes from text descriptions with Amazon support.

Apple raised iPhone prices for some models despite receiving tariff relief from President Donald Trump, with the new lineup starting at $799 for the base model.

A two-story 3D concrete printed home in Western Australia demonstrates faster construction methods that could reshape American housing amid rising costs.

Credit scores remain important during retirement for insurance rates and housing applications, while seniors become prime targets for identity theft and financial scams.

Scammers now send unexpected packages with QR codes that redirect victims to fraudulent websites or download malicious software to steal sensitive information.

Meeting AI tools record private conversations alongside work discussions, creating privacy risks that can be managed with proper settings and awareness.

Hotel privacy concerns are valid but rare, with methods to detect hidden tech using smartphone flashlights, mirror tests and scanning apps.

Improve your Wi-Fi speed and reliability with 10 simple router optimization tips that don't require special apps or expensive subscriptions.

A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.

Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.

Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.

OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.

A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.

The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.

Revolutionary TRAUMAGEL gel controls life-threatening bleeding from gunshot wounds and traumatic injuries, helping first responders prevent prehospital deaths.

Protect your home network by enabling proper encryption, creating strong passwords, checking connected devices and using VPN and antivirus software.

The Navy's solar-powered Skydweller drone flew nonstop for 73 hours in Mississippi, proving renewable energy can power long-endurance military missions.

Are You Too Busy for Your Kids?

Parenting