Comments on: Time Bandits – Who is Stealing Your Family Time?

By: Dobeman

Dobeman — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:16:03 +0000

I’m concerned about this statement, “I sometimes make bad decisions and decide to do something for myself, instead of for my family.”

I’ve always said that just because I got married and had kids, it didn’t change the core me. And the core “me” has to have some “me” time in order to stay balanced.

For me at least, I’m a better dad when I DO take time off from the family rather than not.

By: Dad of Divas

Dad of Divas — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:10:13 +0000

@Pete, great ideas! I love the concept of scheduling time for your kids (no matter how crazy that sounds). I agree with you…if something is on my calendar, I do put it ahead of other things, so scheduling time with my family sounds like a good idea and I will definitely plan on trying this out as my girls get older!

@Daddys Toolbox – 1AM nights…can;t function on that little sleep anymore…guess I’m getting a bit too old for that… I do wish at times though that I had a time turner (notice the harry posster reference for all you fans!), so that I could get everything done and not miss out on other things!

By: DaddysToolbox

DaddysToolbox — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:39:01 +0000

i wait until the house is asleep and then i venture to my basement office for catching up with blog reading, surfing, mental relaxation and blog article writing (in that order). Sometimes I skip a night and go to bed by 11pm. That is usually after 3 or 4 1am nights!!

By: Pete Aldin

Pete Aldin — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:51:09 +0000

Great post! Visceral and thought-provoking.

A couple of things helped me (when I worked a 6-day-a-week plus nights job) carve out time for the kids and still work today when I work much less hours and from home:

1. Make appointments with your kids and with your wife. Might sound stupid but if it’s in my calendar, I do it. So I would put aside a block of 2 hours each Saturday and take one of my sons out somewhere; I’d book a family night per week; afternoons with my wife; an early finish from work to pick up the boys from school and go to McDonalds or just go home and do homework together. What this did was give me the confidence to say “No” when someone tried to slot something else into that timeslot: “Hey Boss you want me to go to a seminar Saturday morning? I already have an appointment booked.” etc.

2. These days I just plain say NO to people who want me to come do something when I want that time for my family. I am not ashamed to say, “Sorry, man, that’s family time, no can do.” I also believe in ignoring the phone when I’m reading to my kids, having dinner with the family or doing homework with them. It drives my wife crazy (she has to answer a ringing phone) but I’m good with it.

Pete Aldins latest discovery was..Canine Proofreading

By: Charlie on PA Tpk

Charlie on PA Tpk — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:45:19 +0000

@Dads o’ Divas said: I too feel this way and feel that I am at times being pulled in 20 directions as I am trying to both be breadwinner as well as everything else!

For me, it’s what I do to be ‘everything else’; I am Scout leader for my oldest son (and soon for his 6 year old brother), and I also study karate along side him as well. I may leave the house before 05:00 but I am nearly always home in time for all evening events.

Pretty much the only thing I lose is sleep, and after this long, it’s no great loss!