Don’t you sometimes find that family time could be summed up like this:
get up,
wake up (reluctantly) whilst in the shower,
have breakfast (in a rush),
run to school,
work,
pick up the children (not all at the same time, that would be way too simple!) from various schools and clubs,
quick chat and homework,
cook dinner,
eat,
read bedtime story,
clear mess,
sleep
… and repeat?
Does that sound familiar?
During term time, we tend to cram in way too much into our evenings: playdates, after-school clubs (all Beanie!), homework, cooking sessions with maman and occasional walk to the library. When 7 p.m. comes round the corner, the mere mention of bedtime triggers meltdowns and rebellion (overtired, much?).
School holidays are the complete opposite for us, with all routine (well, nearly all of it) going out of the window. Family life can also be hectic and full of ups and downs when everyone is off and we have more time in our hands than we’re used to, but it’s also a time to make memories and enjoy being together.
The Bassetts Vitamins press office invited me to take part in a campaign they’ve recently launched, to help UK families spend more quality time together. Last month, I attended a round table discussion focusing on a fascinating report Bassetts put together, their Purple Paper, alongside a few top UK bloggers: Emily from ‘A Mummy Too,’ Cathy from ‘Mummy Travels,‘ Kirstie from ‘The Family Adventure Project,‘ Maggy from ‘Red Ted Art’ and Luci from ‘Mums Make Lists.’
Child psychologist Dr. Richard Woolfson, and nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed & Elizabeth Leigh-Firbank, who worked on the Purple Paper, contributed to the discussion and conversation was flowing. Our chat, centred around the Purple Paper, a Family Life Survey showing how hard it is for modern families to accommodate ‘quality time’ into their routines, was like a game of table tennis, with everyone fully alert and happy to contribute ideas.
To delve into the intricacies of family life, Bassetts commissioned a survey of 2,000 UK families which highlighted that families regularly spent less than 7 hours together per week, with 10% of UK families hardly spending any time together at all.
Different families probably define quality family time differently. For me, a chat on the way to the park or a laugh whilst reading a bedtime story is quality time with my children. So are mealtimes, chatting about anything and everything at the table, cooking together or even singing our hearts out to the Trolls soundtrack in the car. Our rushed mornings, my nagging about mess or meltdowns over nail clipping are not (nope, not fun!)!
Now let’s be honest here: how much quality time do you really get with your family every week?
I would say that my four little ones and I spend about an hour and a half every evening really enjoying each other’s company and probably 6 or 7 hours a day at the weekend. I used to cram in a lot into our weekends, but nowadays, we only have one activity (swimming for Crevette, ballet for the girls) and that leaves Saturday afternoons and the whole of Sunday completely free. It’s been liberating to ditch the extra activities and just relax and follow the children’s lead at the weekend. We usually end up staying at home and baking, doing nothing, reading together or going to the park: bliss!
I am also pretty strict with myself when it comes to work. I work a lot during the week, particularly in the evening (night?), so I have a strict rule to stop working on the computer or other devices when I go to bed on Friday night and not switching back on until Sunday night when the children are in bed. It doesn’t mean I’m not working at all: I sometimes cook with the children and take photos of our food for a post, or jot down notes in a notebook, but the fact of the matter is I really switch off and give my brain the much-needed rest it needs. I am also a lot more ‘present’ with my children than I would be should my computer be switched on or social media lurking in the background.
Hurdles to quality family time:
- What and how the family eats has an impact on family life.
- A lot of houses these days don’t have a room big enough for a family dining room table
- Everyone in the family has a busy schedule
- Technology is not always banned at meal times
- In the digital world we live in, we have less and less down time. We are overstimulated and have a tendency to over schedule
- Modern life is stressful
- Housework won’t do itself!
- “Homework, technology and work are among the biggest barriers to achieving a better work-life balance.” (Purple Paper)
Bassetts Vitamins have pledged to help with these issues and they’re on a mission to parents some inspiration and support to reclaim quality family time. Here are a few things I gathered from my own experience, the discussion mentioned above and The Purple Paper.
10 things you can do to inject some fun into your family time:
- Role modelling is the best way to improve the way our children eat. How could you expect your children to eat broccoli if you refused to touch it with a barge pole?
- Here are a few realistic tweaks for better family life and balance: don’t pledge to take the kids to Disneyworld when there is no way you could save the money to do it for another 10 years. Instead, schedule fun family time, e.g. a cinema party every Friday night, with the children making popcorn with dad then choosing a film all together then cuddling on the sofa, completely ‘in the moment’ with no distractions, tablets, phones or games consoles.
- What could you children teach you? It could range from something simple like making your own play dough, to an easy tune on the piano to a lesson on how to draw an owl to more adventurous activities like rafting or sledging. I promised my son I would try to play Minecraft with him before Christmas (yuck, yuck!). It makes him so happy I actually want to have a go (at some point. I will, I really will.).
- Get involved in the fun at the park. Why not try to go higher than them on the swings or go down the slide once in a while?
- Take 10 minutes to sit at the table after dinner and play a board game. Our favourite as a family is Blokus. We also love Uno, Jenga and Peek a Doodle Doo. LEGO and Playmobil are also firm favourites here, especially at Christmas time when everyone gets involved in the building process.
- Allow children to experiment and have fun with food. Why not have a baking session together once a week? Not only will you have some quality time together but you’ll also have something delicious to eat afterwards.
- When you only have 5 minutes to spend with your family, it doesn’t have to be a boring 5 minutes. Gallop to school instead of walking (why not, hey?), decide what you would do if you won the lottery, chat about the food that would never pass your lips and why, talk about which animals hibernate and why. If the conversation is fun and they feel you have time to chat, it’s likely to encourage little ones to open up about issues they might have had at school (friendship troubles, worries about swimming, times tables woes, homework struggles…).
- Rainy day? Just put your wellies on and jump in muddy puddles with them! Getting wet and dirty is the perfect excuse to snuggle up on the sofa in pyjamas afterwards with a large mug of hot chocolate.
- Let the children be in charge. Last week, I went to London with my eldest. When asked what his favourite thing to do would be, he just said: “Can we go on the next bus that comes past and go anywhere in London?” We did just that. We didn’t see any exciting sights and we got a bit lost, but it was nice to spend time doing what he wanted, without questioning why or what the end goal was. There was no goal and that was the fun part!
Here are the top 10 life lessons learnt from time spent together, across parents of all surveyed age-groups:
- How to laugh everyday (63%)
- You can find the joy in small things (59%)
- Things don’t always have to be done in the same way (52%)
- Not to fear new challenges (45%)
- It’s easy to be nice (45%)
- Every day is a fresh start (43%)
- Try not to care what others think (37%)
- Friendships should be nurtured (35%)
- Persistence pays off (30%)
- Bumps and bruises are a badge of honour (27%)
Skye Lucas-Banks, from Bassetts Vitamins, explains that all of the above is exactly why they decided to create “Colour Quest Activity Books with some quick and easy ways for families to connect in those little moments we have every day, whether going on a ‘treasure hunt’ in the garden or choosing and preparing a nutritious dinner together.”
You can download your Colour Quest Activity Book here, or better still, why not enter the giveaway below to win one of 10 child umbrellas and Colour Quest Activity Kits from Bassetts Vitamins.
Win one of 10 child umbrellas and Colour Quest Activity Kits from Bassetts Vitamins
How to enter the giveaway:
You can pick and choose a range of ways in which to enter. The only one you must click on to get into the draw is the one asking you to leave a blog post comment. You must also leave a comment telling me how you like to spend time together as a family.
Entries are open until 11.59 p.m. GMT time on Sunday 19th November 2017. Good luck!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Bassetts Vitamins. It was a real pleasure to help them spread the word about their Purple Paper findings. As always, all photos and opinions are my own.
I have listed this giveaway on ThePrizeFinder, SuperLucky, Competition Database and Loquax.
we like to go for walks in our local country park
Cycling to the beach to play in the rockpools and have a picnic then cycling home again.
Sounds perfect!!!
we love going to the massive park and splashing 🙂
Baking is always fun on a wet day. On a nice day, we usually head to a playground.
You’re my kind of girl!
We love playing monopoly together, and walks in the woods x
We love to head out for walks through the wood seeing what we can find on the way!
Walking the dog!
Visiting the park
I love story telling time
doing anything in the great outdoors
We love holidays and try to get away for quality time as often as possible
going long walks in the countryside
We enjoy fun days out to theme parks, farms and walking round big scenic park areas
🙂
as long as we are out and about making memories, that is all what matters.
Couldn’t agree more!
we like to go to the local parks.. bradgate or abbey… free but lots of fun! animal corners, outside gym, big green area & parks! x
We have amazing parks in the UK, haven’t we? Friends who come and visit from France are always amazed.
we love throwing pebbles in the sea
So do my 4. Every single one of them 🙂
We love going for walks in the woods. Kids love it
I have fond memories of bike rides and walks in the woods as a child 🙂
I like it when we all go out together for a walk, taking the dogs and a picnic
nothing beats a picnic!
Walks in the country followed by pub lunch. Perfect to get everyone chatting!
Sounds like my kind of day!
We love playing board games today we tried articulate
Never heard of Articulate. Will look it up!
we love going for walks in the country, we have a pond near us and we feed the ducks, My kids love it.
Sounds idyllic!
We love to spend time playing outdoors together. We camp, we swim, we ride, we run, we climb, we jump in muddy puddles, we play games and we garden. It keeps us strong and healthy in body and mind. Doing it all together makes it easy and fun.
Sounds like so much fun, Solange! One of my favourite things is jumping in puddles with my little ones!
Going on nature trail walks
love that too!
We love having a lovely family dinner with no tv on and no distractions so we can all talk and enjoy our time together
we love going on walks
We live next to the beach and love spending time there walking our dog
we love walks to the park and picnics! although in the winter we like to cosy up and have a capet picnic and a family film!
We love doing craft kits and baking together x
day at the park with a picnic
Having a picnic in the summer.
Going to the park and having a picnic – in all weather!
we enjoy going swimming x fab prize fingers crossed x
Going out kayaking together
playing in the woods
We go for picnics and play lots of games together.
Love a nice walk and a cuppa watching trains go by
In our local country park so much to do and see we love it
We love going for walks and visiting National Trust properties!
Children are the true meaning of life….
We book lots of trips to forest cabins each year.
Walking and playing along our local beach
We love walks in the countryside with our dog.
Snuggled up under blankets on the sofas, eating popcorn and watching classic movies!
That’s what I’ve planned to do with my 4 as a treat this afternoon 🙂
I love going on an adventure somewhere new that we can all explore together
We love going for walks in our local park 🙂
Long walks and games on the beach
From your video, looks like you have a very busy lifestyle!
We rarely stop 🙂
Having a nice meal
We love having a picnic together in the summer, it gets us all eating together in the fresh air.
days outside making family memories
We love family movie Time on a sunday
We have a ‘cinema party’ (well, we watch a film and eat popcorn / treats) every Friday evening. My children love it!
Game night
Current favourite is going to the allotment but not as much fun now “harvest” is over
We love going for muddy walks
Nice’
Worms are always good fun
We like taking our dogs for walks xx
We live across the road from a park so our favourite thing to do is go for a lovely walk to the park! We sometimes take a football, or tennis kit so we can play on the courts, or we just have a fun adventure in the woods!
We love walking together around the lake district and also sitting playing board games and cards xx
We love going on long walks together and visiting new places. Also my daughter and I are big bookworms so we love curling up together and reading together.
Lovely time in the garden or park
I just love going on walks with the kids, no technology, just through the woods, climbing trees, exploring, lovely! X
We have family film night every saturday it is the best way for us to chill out, we also having sharing pizza and movie snacks x
Enjoying a meal together followed by some board games and then a film!
we love going on family walks around our local area we live in the countryside
A big family dinner on a Sunday and movie time on a Saturday evening
days out or film days x
Having long chats on our walks with the dog in our local woods with absolutely no tech – TV’s, tablets or smartphones to disturb us.
walking the dog in the woods.
We love taking our dogs for walks to our local parks and exploring local forests
Out in the park, exploring.
Playing board games
its just the 2 of us so i like when we have bed parties, we eat and read tons of book sand just have a giggle
We like to walk the dogs in the woods and collect things to make collages with
Love walking along the canal
We love visiting new places and also walking in the countryside or by the sea
I love special days out with my boys making memories that will last forever x
We love going walking, especially when there are puddles! My 3 love puddle jumping.
the beach or theme park
visiting the park or playing board games
On the beach – So much to do not matter what time of year it is
Lovely walks in the countryside x
We love long walks in the woods x
We have 3 basset hounds that we take out sniffing every day come rain or shine!
Going to the park
walks in the woods
Playing board games or a walk and a picnic
Going for long walks in the woods
We love playing board games together and having family day trips to local parks, museums together
i love visiting little zoo’s 🙂
We play lots of hide and seek in the garden – winter and summer!
Going up the park near home there is a nature trail, woods, a playground, garden centre etc
In the outdoors as a family for sure!
We go on family outings at the weekend to the zoo, national trust property, WWT or one of the fab castles in North Wales.
That’s a gorgeous little video montage – i’m not sure I’d want to be filmed at the dentist though!
We love family days out, trips to the park are always fun x
In the countryside, a walk, a picnic and tea out
We love spending time together on our local beach rock-pooling and walking.
Walking in the nature reserve nearby and trying to spot a squirrel
Going to the beach!
I quite enjoy visiting small zoos.
A day out in the countryside – walking our dog molly, camping, climbing, kayaking, canoeing 🙂
There is nothing better then family days out
especially to new exciting places you havent been before
Going to the beach, so lovely.
love going for walks and feeding the ducks
Playing a board game together, then it gives us a chance to properly communicate.
We love a good old-fashioned board game.
we are lucky to live on the coast so we enjoy taking the dogs for a walk
Saturday is family day no exceptions so we always walk our dog then come back snuggle on the sofa and watch strictly which we all love ❤
my daughters loves out door activities no matter what the weather is, and I enjoy it too we love to observe insects and leaves as well as collect pine cones to decorate too
I love walking through the woods
Something simple such as walking in the park or playing a board game together.
Taking the dog for walks and going on Bear hunts
We like to go to the park, jump in the leaves and find ladybirds 🙂
dinnertime 🙂
I love our Family sunday afternoons, roast cooking and we all sit down and play a game or watch a film together 🙂
We live near the Lake District so we love to go on walks and hikes as a family.
We love going out geocaching. Such a great way to enjoy each other’s company and get fresh air and excerise.
I love sitting together while reading a book.
Visiting new places
going to the local country park – for a walk, to see the animals, and lunch
A day out doing things together without mobiles and tablets
Go out on walks or play a board game!
We love to go out and explore somewhere new together.
My favourite days out are anything outdoors with my family 🙂
we love going for a walk together, especially along the river or by the sea
Adventures out to places, my daughter especially loves London
We like to go for long walks in the peak district. We take a picnic with us 😉
We like going for a family day out in London.
Fishing
We love going on geocaching walks!
In the park with a picnic
we like to have a no computer eve on a Sunday evening where we play board games as a family, as my boys are both Young Carers for me it’s good to be able to spend time without them caring
I joined the National Trust a while back and love spending time going to NT properties with the family and helping my daughter fill out her activity books x
That is such a lovely video. Great way to chronicle your family life x
Anything out of the house as long as we’re all together. Today was Christmas shopping!
I love visiting the woods
We love to walk over our local cow meadows!!!!
Walking in the 🙂
Walking in the woods 🙂
Going on walks
Going to the park and playground!
We love being outside even if it’s just in the garden, but we are lucky that we have a park near us with a racecourse and also a playground, so great fun for the summer.
We love to go to the woods, for a picnic or a rock hunt 😀
Any time spent outside with my little ones is great. We love walks in the woods or along the beach.
Walks in the park, on the beach or in the countryside
we love going on day trips out and having adventures. or sitting at home playing games
We love playing board games. We have collected 4 shelves full from carboot sales and charity shops. My 7 year old is a whizz at chess
Walking in the countryside.
At the beach
We love going for woodland adventures, little man with the map and the eldest always losing her boots in the mud!
We love going swimming together
We love going for a walk together and playing games at home. A long drive in the car is great for chatting!
Getting out, with some fresh air and my camera to make memories
Walking the dog
Watching a family movie together xx
We build a lot of Lego together and look for parks with tubey slides in them that we can hurtle down!
we like to go out as a family with my son on his balance bike. we can be out for hours on the cycle tracks near us.
We love outings – especially if it involves animals
my fave thing is to get in the car to visit one of the big parks or farms and take some food let the kids explore and then have some food
Playing in the park and doing puzzles.
Playing in the park 🙂
Kicking through the leaves on a walk together
Trampolining! x x x
hahaha, brilliant! I’ve never actually done it 🙂
we go to local rec skate – not only do we enjoy it its a great cardio workout
family walks and cosy nights in watching movies