Families For Life | How to incorporate family time at Home, Work, and Play.
Incorporating family time into everyday life has benefits. It does wonders for our hectic lives by reducing stress and anxiety in both children and adults. Quality time spent regularly with family strengthens emotional bonds and supports mental wellbeing. It also boosts your little ones’ social skills, behaviour and academic performance.
Read on to learn how to weave quality family time seamlessly into your daily routine and transform everyday moments at work, home and play into meaningful connections across generations!
Incorporate family time at work
As a working parent in Singapore, you can take up to 6 days of childcare leave yearly for children under 7, separate from your annual leave. Use this precious time off to take them on day trips, explore the outdoors, learn something new, or have a short holiday with them and their grandparents.
Make some great memories together. Many workplaces also offer flexible working arrangements and even childcare facilities. Speak with your employer about options that could help you spend more quality time with your family.
Incorporate family time at home
The ever-growing laundry pile and having to clear dirty dishes, prepare meals, mop, sweep, and vacuum can become a never-ending cycle of household chores for working parents. Consider hiring domestic help to lighten the workload and free up some hours to spend quality time with your family. The government’s Levy Concession for Migrant Domestic Workers makes this option more affordable for eligible families.
On the other hand, chores can double up as family time with a little team effort. Giving your kids simple tasks like sorting laundry by colour, doing the dishes or wiping the table with you creates opportunities for bonding too!
Everyone needs to eat, so why not make it family time? Set aside time each week for a meal at home together. It's a great way to stay connected. If you love cooking, why not share the fun in the kitchen by learning from your elders or getting your kids involved in the food prep? It’s the perfect recipe for some quality family time!
Also, some of the most meaningful moments at home take half an hour or less. For example, reading a short bedtime story to your child before their bedtime is a great way to spend time together. A simple morning greeting when you see each other takes a few seconds, but its impact resonates longer. If the grandparents live apart from you, a short video call between your kids and them can strengthen family bonds in just a few minutes as well.
Incorporate family time in play
There’s never been a better time to have fun as a family. The National Family Festival, organised by Families For Life, is a great and fun way for the whole family to spend time together during the June school holidays! It’s a large-scale family carnival that celebrates all things family, all June with exciting island-wide family events and programmes, lifestyle activities and food and beverage deals by various brands and partners.
If you are going to get fit, why not incorporate some family fun into it? Explore new environments by brisk walking together, have friendly family challenges with some team sports or try something unusual like stand-up paddling. There are so many options to play together.
We know that, between long work hours, responsibilities at home, and endless digital entertainment, making time for family can be challenging. However, with a little effort and some knowledge about the support and benefits you can enjoy as a family in Singapore, it’ll definitely be a little easier at work, home or play!