Caitlin Woolbert
Families are becoming busier and busier in their schedules and are involved in more activities outside of the home. Researchers have studied children of all ages and looked at whether age influences the amount of time a child is willing to spend participating in family activities. One study concluded that
“We ordinarily think of family-shared recreation as age-graded. That is, as children grow older they gradually become emancipated from the family and establish their own circle of friends and activities. The responses of the Pacific County High School students, however, show that older students are just as likely as younger students to desire more recreational activities with their families” (Stone, 1963, p. 85).
There are many benefits of spending time together as a family in recreational activities.
“In general, it [family recreation] is believed to improve parent-child understanding of the interests, problems, and points of view of each by the other” (Stone, 1963, p. 85). Leisure time helps to foster those feelings of mutual understanding and creates a bonding opportunity in which all members of the family can be actively involved in getting to know each other and come closer together.
Family leisure or family time is important to me and my family. Life can be crazy and hectic, but we make it a priority to spend time together. It is easier to spend time with your immediate family. Connecting with extended family is also important. One thing my family has started is getting together once a month for family dinner. It is a great way to catch up and bond together. Looking back through the years, some of my greatest memories come from spending time with my extended family. It is fun to reconnect and reminisce about the good old days.
One of my favorite quotes reads, “Family, like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one.” Families are constantly growing and changing, but we need to remember that we all come from the same roots. Making family leisure or family time a priority is important to strengthen your growing family tree.
Resources:
Stone, C. L. (1963). Family recreation-a parental dilemma. The family life coordinator, vol. 12, pp. 85-87. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org.byui.idm.oclc.org/stable/10.2307/581462?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=Family&searchText=Recreation-A&searchText=Parental&searchText=Dilemma&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DFamily%2BRecreation-A%2BParental%2BDilemma%26amp%3Bacc%3Don%26amp%3Bwc%3Don%26amp%3Bfc%3Doff