The more I pull back from my kids time-wise, the more they pull back from me, physically, mentally and emotionally.

I am a firm believer that if you care about someone then you would not let anything stand in the way of spending time with them. – unknown

I remember a great speaker and family expert who used to tell a story of a friend who was doing very well financially and with a booming business. He and his family had everything you could want.

At least in a material sense. The only thing was, the relationship between this man and his son was slowly disappearing. The son was 15 years old and over the past 12 months, almost without knowing it, the relationship was disappearing until one day it dawned on him… The way his son was talking to him had changed, he had changed his friends, the way he dressed and the music he listened to had changed.

What is the Answer?

The family expert suggested he take more time with his son. Get home a little earlier from work each day and spend time with his son doing whatever he would like to do. Talk to his son about the music he was listening to, how school was going and what he would like to do once he’s finished school. At first his son was very suspicious but after a while, he relented and spent more time with his father. Just three weeks later his father and mother could see a big difference.

Over time with more effort, the relationship kept getting stronger.

This Gets Close to Home Sometimes

This has certainly been the case in my own experience as well. Sometimes when my own kids will start misbehaving, have a bit of attitude, be a little depressed or just pull back, I now look back to how much time I have spent with them and without fail, I have pulled back from them time-wise.

I’m not saying this is the answer to every situation, but it is certainly a great place to start.

Are you taking enough time to build and sustain good relationships with your children?

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Originally published at Mum Daily. Photo by Yan Krukau.