Family Comes First – Are You Sure About That?
Recently, I attended a conference that said we should not put our family first. I was surprised by this. This gentleman said put your faith first, then fitness, then family. This made a lot of sense because faith is often what leads us to family and if we are not staying fit, we can’t be there for our family.
Think about your priorities for a moment and there is no need to feel guilty. Many people unintentionally let other things get in the way when they shouldn’t. Is it time to shift your priorities? Perhaps family does come first for you by nature and you need to make sure you’re keeping your faith and your fitness in mind as well.
Are you working crazy hours?
While your objective may be to provide those “extras” for your family, it results in you neglecting them. So you may come home with gifts and new toys, but is that what your family really wants? They would probably prefer to spend more time with you instead.
The next time you are asked to work late or immediately offer to stay when overtime is offered, think about your reason why. Do you really need the extra money? Or do you get bored when you get home and would prefer to stay at work? Whatever the intention is you need to look at your reasons and be honest with yourself. Staying away from home could indicate that there is a problem in your marriage that you don’t want to deal with.
Be There
One way to put your family first is by being there for them. When your son or daughter has a sports event or is in the school play, make of point of attending. If a family member gets sick, help them out as much as possible.
Create Stability
Creating stability within your family is a good way of putting your family first. Everyone loves to know that they have someone who they can count on.
You can easily do this by creating family routines such as:
- Regular dinner times
- Chores for each family member
- Set bed times
- Movie or game night
Though these things may sound trivial, they are very important. By creating a structured routine you are also setting expectations for your family. They know that they are expected for dinner at 6 pm each day.
Start a Family Saturday
Or that every Saturday, they have to spend an hour or two helping out with chores. I really loved what
Tony Dungy. said about having a “Family Saturday” from NFL Super Bowl CoachTony Dungy. If anyone knows what it’s like to try to balance family and a career it’s Tony Dungy.
Yes, the former NFL player and Super Bowl championship coach…who also happens to be a proud father of 10.
Family comes first is a nice saying but putting family first may become a problem if your ignoring your faith and health.
Are you looking for help with your relationships?
Marriage and Family Therapist, Richard E. Hamon has some excellent resources on building great relationships. Check out his website .
