Ask the Horizons Team: Spending Quality Time with the Family

Question:

My husband and I both work and have three children at home, two of whom have various developmental issues. One of the biggest challenges we have is making time for quality activities with the kids when we are home with them. Do you have any suggestions for us?

-Julie in Sacremento, CA

Answer:

Hi Julie,

I certainly understand your challenge, and I’m sure a lot of our readers can relate. When both parents work (or even when they don’t) it can be difficult to find the time and energy to engage in quality interactions with kids at home, especially when you have children with a variety of challenges. My colleagues and I recently read a book that addresses this issue and that you may find helpful. It’s called Working Parents Thriving Families: 10 Strategies That Make a Difference. The author is psychologist David Palmiter, and the book is available on Amazon. In the book he shares some very important and doable strategies that parents can use to deepen relationships between parents and children, increase children’s sense of personal competence, implement appropriate discipline strategies, and more. All of the ideas are shared in the context of understanding the challenges of families where both parents work.

I hope you find it to be a helpful resource!

Nicole