You are here: Home › Resources › Articles › Reflections

Reflections

Printer-friendly version

Your time and your children.

When you look at your own reflection in a mirror what do you see? A person that knows what they want out of life and sees clearly that they can chose their direction. A person that captures time in a way that benefits them. Who do you see?

	“The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.“   - Thomas Jefferson

Your children are also a reflection of you. Do you give your child the time they require to grow up to be stable adults? When you look into the face of your child, do you see happiness? What emotion do you see in your children if not happiness? Does your child spend more time with caregivers? Have they become more a reflection of the caregiver? Can you identify with your child? What is your child learning when you are not there? Does your child have your values? Is your child given enough affection and your preference for direction? These are things a child cannot get elsewhere.

Make time for yourself and your children. Draw clear lines on what is acceptable and what is not acceptable where your time is concerned.

Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca Cola Enterprises from 1959-1994, said it this way:

“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends, and spirit - and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends, and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.”

If you have trouble making time for the things that are important to you we may be able to help you. The first step to time management is priority. What are the most important things to you? Do you have time for them? Do you have time for you? Think for a moment before you answer this question. Do not give an answer that others would expect of you, explore how you feel about your answer before answering yourself.

Your children are a direct reflection of you. Who is raising your child? What is your child missing while another is caring for your child? Perhaps they are missing affection along with direction. Is your child a reflection of you, or of someone else? Will your child grow up to be a stable well balanced individual, or no?

A lot of the problems with two working parents can be chalked up to the government. At least this is true in Canada. After the war when the men came home, of course they all went back to work (those that could). There income along with the income of the women who went to work when the men went to war was pleasing to the governments overwhelming hunger for an income.  The prices of everything were increased forcing men and women to work. Leaving the children to fall through the cracks. Did this matter to our government? Do children vote? There is your answer. In order for the government to maintain its income men and women were put in a possition of, they both work, or they don't survive.

You are not a bad parent. You have been sucked into the work zone along with the rest of society. So not only are you and your children stressed by not being able to spend time together you are both stressed when you do spend time together. You may be unable to understand your child or its' behaviour because you are not with the child all day to see what your child is learning. This in turn makes you wish you were back at work. This is called effective Catch twenty-two which always has you out making money and your children at the mercy of, well, whoever. Just so long as you are supplying a steady income to the government and you are somehow contributing to the economy the government is happy. Someone had a great plan didn't they? But it wasn't your plan. It wasn't the plan of your children either. Is this the life you chose to live? You may still be able to gain control over your life.

Let us help you design a life that makes time for yourself and your family a real possibility. How often do you see your children smile?

Awareness is one of the keys, self-awareness, and awareness of those you love. Look at yourself closely. Look into the eyes of your children and find out who your children really are, what their interests are, etc. get to know them. Are they lacking anything at all? Are they going to be ok as adults or confused, feeling as though they don't fit into society? When you fix your future you may also fix theirs.

© 2005-2007 Jacqueline and Jeffrey Sax, All rights reserved. E-mail us with your comments or suggestions. Disclaimer