Take Time to Make Time

I was at a seminar for Faith Formation professionals last week, and the speaker quoted a study that said the average parent spends an average of 1.5-3 minutes in "non-directional" (meaning, "Did you do your homework" or "Brush your teeth" doesn't count) communication with their children each day.  We all gasped, and I immediately started adding up my stats in my head.  How much time do I spend just having conversations with my kids?  I did a little more research, and I found another study that put American parents at an average of 2 minutes per day.  A Canadian study gives us 10 minutes - that seems better - until I read on to find they were talking 10 minutes per week.  Ouch.

Now, compare that to how much time our children spend in front of a screen, watching TV or playing video games.  On average, a few hours.  Every day.  Double ouch!

Some of us may be doing a little better with this, but I think all of us have room for improvement.  So, I'm asking parents who read this to comment on this post, sharing your tips for making time, facilitating meaningful conversations, or being a better listener for your children.  Maybe together we can improve our average!

Cute Fall Printable

I got this in my email inbox today - I thought some of our GIFT families might enjoy doing this activity at home! 

http://freebiefriday.guildcraftinc.com/index.php/freebie-friday-johnny-appleseed-fingerprint-printable/#