Look at the mobile absorbed while your children play around you, or while they eat or are talking to you. Surely, unfortunately, these scenes are familiar to all of us. And it is that in the society in which we live, in which both the imminent information and the updates on our social networks prevail, it seems difficult to get off the phone.
But our children don't get tired of telling us: the mobile is a element of distraction that takes us away from them and that makes them believe that they are not important enough for us. Therefore, they ask us to leave home when we get home and "connect" with their needs.
This is just one of the conclusions obtained from the "Letter to my parents" report prepared by ARHOE, the Commission for the Rationalization of Spanish Timetables, and which makes us reflect on the quality time we spend with our children.
Reflecting on the time we spend with our children
The report, "Letter to my parents", has been prepared after the completion of an online questionnaire for fathers and mothers, and workshops aimed at primary and secondary school students, where children have reflected on the time they spend with their parents.
The general conclusions show the need for a greater involvement of the parents in the time they share with their children, as well as the importance of co-responsible behavior in the home.
In Babies and moreThe figures speak: co-responsibility in the care of children between fathers and mothers, still far away Parents feel very dissatisfied with the time they spend with their children
According to the survey data, almost 60% of parents believe that they spend less time with their children than children need, and 66.7% say they feel tired, stressed, sad, guilty or helpless in the absence of attention.
In Babies and more “Stressed and exhausted”, this is how our children see us in this emotional campaign about reconciliation of UNICEFThe study has determined that the difficulty finding time to successfully develop the role of parents It leads many couples to suffer crises of instability, poor work performance or psychological disorders. In addition, some parents claim that the inability to be with their children has resulted in school failure or problems with eating.
As for the average daily time dedicated to children, 63% of respondents claim to be longer than two hours, being the most common practices to feed them, talk, help them with their homework and play, activity that only performs 55% of The participants, despite 81% consider what their children would most like.
But, What prevents parents from spending more time with our children? According to the survey, 75% of the time is work and difficulties in reconciling work and personal life, followed by fatigue and stress, and household chores.
In Babies and more Motherhood and conciliation: 75 percent of Spanish mothers feel guilty of not being able to spend more time with their childrenWhen asked what it would be in their hands to do to get more time for their children, 36% believe they should be better planned, while almost 29% believe that the key would be to disconnect from mobile phones and television.
The children would like their parents to work less and put aside the mobile
During the workshops, most children have expressed their desire to spend more time with their parents, especially those who, due to work circumstances of their parents, must remain alone at home all afternoon. This situation of loneliness causes them anguish, fear, sadness or discomfort, although they are aware that it should not be easy for their parents either.
Among the activities that children want to do as a family, they include traveling, hiking, sports and playing, although most perceive that there are a number of barriers that make it impossible for them to spend time with their parentssuch as work, housework and abusive use of mobile phones, computers and television.
When students are asked what they think their parents could do to spend more time on them, the answer that is repeated most often is: "Leave the phone when you get home and pay attention to me."
In Babies and more Teenagers think their parents are addicted to mobile phones, a bad example that makes family relationships difficultBoth surveys and workshops have shown a common need for parents and children, and that is spend more time together. Although there are several types of family and each one has some personal circumstances, in general it can be interpreted that there is always something that is in our hands to do so that time (little or much) that we spend with ours is of quality.
And you, What do you think you could do to get more time with your children?
Photos | iStock
