Nurturing Relationships

It’s all too easy to take people who are close to us for granted, and then it comes as a surprise when an emotional distance grows between you. But there are always ways to make time for each other, and by doing so, you can cherish the relationships that you have.

Your partner

Although it may feel a little like a cliché, there is something to be said for ‘date nights’. Our lives are increasingly busy and hectic, and you may feel like you and your partner are like passing ships in the night sometimes. In order to maintain a good relationship, you need to make time for each other, and one of the easiest ways to do that is to have a regular night that you book a babysitter and go out together for time as a couple.

Your children

With the frantic lifestyles many parents lead, their children don’t always get to spend quality time with them. If you have to drop them at breakfast club and then don’t see them until you collect them from after-school club, it doesn’t leave much time for anything else in the evenings save dinnertime and getting ready for bed.

See if you can juggle your work hours so that one or both of you gets to collect the kids at end of school one day a week and they get to spend some quality time with you instead of just doing the practical things in life. If your working hours don’t allow for this, see if you can ask their grandparents to step in once a week instead. It’s a great reason for you to see your parents or in-laws regularly too!

The wider family

It’s all too easy for weeks to go by when you don’t get together with the different people in your family. But just as you keep friendships strong by making time to meet up with your friends, you need to do the same with family members. Sometimes the fact that you know your family will always be there means that you put less effort into organising get-togethers with them than you would with your friends. Of course, seeing people on a regular basis is easier if you live nearby, but there’s all the more reason to make the effort when some of your family are far away.

In today’s world, it’s so easy to stay in touch without actually talking. You can email, send a message on Facebook or tweet, and while it only takes seconds to do this and shows the person you’re thinking of them, it’s also important to do things the old-fashioned way now and then and have a real conversation. Even if you have to schedule it in your diary to make sure you do it, making the time to call someone close to you is important. Having a conversation is so different to communicating electronically.

Letting people know that you value them and the relationship you have with them is easy to do, but it’s also easy to let things slip and time to pass by. Nurturing the people you love and care about should be high on everyone’s life to-do list!