What’s eating into your exclusive ‘family time’?

When was the last time you spent exclusive time with your family?

And no, the number of hours spent sitting together on the same couch but doing different things doesn’t count.

Tough to answer? Take heart – you’re not alone.

It just goes to highlight the current trend in Dubai, where every individual is so caught up in their own lives that they are unable to focus on the bigger picture.

Whether it’s scanning the laptop or completing an office assignment, or chatting away with a friend on the phone, or playing video games, parents and children are isolated in their own individual activities.

“Yes, we sit in the same room, but each one ends up doing their own thing,” confesses Smriti, a Dubai resident and mother of a three-year-old.

“While I and my husband work away on our respective laptops, our toddler watches ‘Mickey Mouse Clubhouse’ on YouTube.

“It isn’t an ideal situation but under the current stressful scenario, you don’t want to slack at work, even if it means taking work home. So, if it means to allow my child watch YouTube, so be it.”

Another parent highlights similar conditions. “I have a 13-16 hour working day, so when I get home I just want to unwind. I don’t want to talk to anyone. I just want some ‘me time’,” stresses Jogi Jacob, a marketing executive in Dubai.

Work does eat up majority of the resident’s lives, and that’s something Psychiatrist Naresh Kumar Dhar of Jumeriah Prime Medical Centre is eager to justify.

“With both working parents, and some working different time schedules, it does get tough for parents to chalk out time together as a family during the week,” he explains.

Having said that, Dr Dhar insists that parents must work harder to schedule family time during the weekend, or something to make up for the hectic schedule of the week.

And if it isn’t work but weekend parties and revelries that are keeping you from bonding as a family, then Dr Dhar has a bone to pick with you.

A recent study by confectionery giant Oreo for the region highlights that “on an average, parents in the Gulf spend 3.69 hours a day with their families, compared with 2.1 hours a day in Europe.”

Even if we are spending more family time than our counterparts in Europe, the stats still show that there is a problem at hand.

Exclusive time with family is key to a healthy lifestyle, emphasises Dr Dhar.

“It’s a security net. It’s a time when members of the family can ventilate pent-up emotions, boost your morale, build confidence and even help in the development of personalities. It’s a catharsis.

“It’s also a time when parents can gauge how their child is developing, whether he/she is facing issues like bullying or are under pressure over their academics.”

And this exercise isn’t limited to kids. “Such interactions help adults as well,” he says.

Some families like the Sethumadavans are willing to make a difference by making some basic changes in their normal lifestyle.

“We sit down together for breakfast and dinner,” adds Sanjukta, who claims family meal times are a great way of filling out that vacuum.

Indeed, as the age-old saying goes, the family that eats together, stays together.

“It’s something I’ve grown up with, and I understand how it helps to get involved in each other’s lives,” adds Sanjukta.

It isn’t just the families, but some residents claim that finding time to spend with their partners is equally tough.

“We are so busy with work, kids and home that I don’t get time with my husband,” adds a working mother Sreelakshmi.

Dr Dhar understands the stressful life most Dubai parents lead, but advices how a few hours for the family will go a long way in cementing a healthy foundation to happily ever after.
Simple tips to help bond again as a family

1.      Daily family meal-time. Whether it’s breakfast, dinner or lunch, aim for one meal together as a family minus any distractions like the telly.

2.      If weekdays are hectic for an evening-out, schedule fun trips to the neighbourhood park or beach during the weekend. You could even plan a picnic or BBQ.

3.      If the weather isn’t good and the energy levels low, stay indoors and play board-games.

4.      Cook a meal together. Nothing elaborate, but something easy and fun.

5.      Involve everyone in daily chores. This is an extremely crucial exercise in bonding and team-work, and teaches everyone to be accountable.

[Image via Shutterstock]

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.