How much time do you spend with your kids?

[earthlyken]

Sa hirap ng buhay ngayon, almost lahat tayo nag susumikap mag trabaho para mabigyan mga anak natin ng mga kailangan nila.

but in doing that, halos gumagapang na tayo sa trabaho at pagod na pag uwi sa bahay.

How much time do you spend with your kids and ano ginagawa niyo pag free ka?

[MR_BIG18]

Sa hirap ng buhay ngayon, almost lahat tayo nag susumikap mag trabaho para mabigyan mga anak natin ng mga kailangan nila.

but in doing that, halos gumagapang na tayo sa trabaho at pagod na pag uwi sa bahay.

How much time do you spend with your kids and ano ginagawa niyo pag free ka?

We're blessed that her school is 5mins from my office, my and my wife help in our store and we bring and fetch my daughter to school everyday together, after that she does her assignments in our office then we go home together as a family, btw i make it a point to eat lunch at her school once or twich a week, before going to bed we always have small talk, i often tell her stories of what happened to me at her age, the things that i can still remember, she is seven, topic tonight was inappropriate punishment, i told her when i was in grade school it was legal to spank students with a ruler, i told her the story when i was 7, for being too naughty, nuns locked me inside the dark storage room of the gym for half a day, cant even see my hand in front of my face, i only told my parents when i was an adult, usual reaction is they got mad, my tip is just make small talk and tell them stories of your youth, so they can comprehend, i have plenty of angst from my childhood, telling stories to them helps also of letting go, When you tell stories theyre wide eyed and amazed, parang di sila maka paniwala na you were just a small kid back then.

[Jun aka Pekto]

My work shifts are normally Mid or Swing shifts. I'm either at home or just got home when the kids wake up. I prepare their breakfast and drive them to school. I'd have just enough sleep when it's time to wake up and pick them up. 5 hours is usually good enough to me. I also help the youngest with her homework/school projects if I'm not working. She sometimes come along when I go swimming at the pool. My youngest is an outdoors-type person like myself.

My eldest kid is an adult. She does her own thing most of the time.

My youngest love to see me juggle the soccer ball. I imagine, she'll join a little league soccer team later.

[earthlyken]

You guys are lucky to be able spend time, not most but some with your kids even on your busy daily schedule..

Me, i make a point everyday to help them with their school home work and i always make sure we have an activity with the entire family every weekend, just to cover the days that am not with them, my work shift is at night, so i leaving for work when they're about to go to bed and when i go home, i'll just wait for about an hour for them to wake up, good thing school is just a less than 10 minutes away, so instead using the car or ride a trisicad, we just walk and talk a bit..

i really hate the feeling that they were so small before and now they are big, but we all need to work so they would have a better life.

[dr. d]

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in my case, it's..
"how much time do your kids spend with you?"

empty nest syndrome..

[CVT]

Spending time with our family, wifey and kids, is my first priority.

That is why I have shunned persistent golf invitations in the past, as the activity would take a weekend day away from them. Ohhh soooo precious time...

Malling, eating out, grocery, watching movies in the local theater complete with snacks, drive to and from the bus stop, visiting our parents, Sunday church and Prayer to bed are our main bonding activities. With occasional help on schoolwork (they're pretty much independent), sports, board games, computer games and music (whether playing musical instruments or singing karaoke).

Work-Life balance is very important to me, and that is why it is very hard to call it quits with my current job. We leave the house early, but we get home early, too. Unless, wifey and I decide on a date-night. But then again, even with that, we're home by 9PM,- so that we can still talk with the kids.

After marriage,- very very seldom do I go night out with friends and tropas... My family is my tropa. And, it is still my intention to keep it that way....

Challenging?- yes,- but it is worth it...

Suffocating?- nah (remember that I am the King of the House,- but wifey is the Ace, and the kids are the Jokers... )

BTW,- vehicle maintenance is a priority and they respect it... But of course, such could be postponed...

Right now, I am asking myself,- how could they have grown so fast?

I don't want to ask the same question a few years from now,- with a heavy heart.

And that is why, - I am maximizing my time with them. And I want to make every moment of it- magical!


"The measure of a man is what he does with power" LJIOHF!

27.7K _/_/_/_/_/:boat:_/_/_/_/_/

[_Cathy_]

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in my case, it's..
"how much time do your kids spend with you?"

empty nest syndrome..

All your children are married na?

[dreamur]

Not that much anymore when my daughter graduated from college and got a night shift job while my son is renting an apartment near his school. Gone are the days when we look forward to family vacations, doing small dinner talks and late tv nights. We catch them though on weekends for church, malling and resto hopping. Not going through empty nest syndrome yet but my wife and I start to plan vacatiions on our own booking flights and hotel rooms for 2 instead of 4.

[vinj]

We spend an hour fighting over homework every school night and two hours fighting over homework every weekend.

With the bad traffic now, we're lucky to get home before 9pm but we still spend even just a little time with the kids. Weekend is bawi time though. We rarely see friends now and if we do, our friends and their kids are pretty much in the same circle so it's still family time.

I was a latchkey kid growing up but one thing i will always remember is my dad would make time for me when he could and he made up for it as i grew up and before he passed away. I also think that nowadays, parents are more focused to be there for their kids too, and there is a growing balance between both spouses in attending to the children's needs as compared to the yesteryears.

Re. empty nests: This is one reason why i do not intend to have a large home. Kids will grow and all i'll have left are my cars... er... is my wife. So take care of your cars... i mean... your spouses because growing old happy with your better half is one of the most beautiful things I've always seen.

[dreamur]

We spend an hour fighting over homework every school night and two hours fighting over homework every weekend.

With the bad traffic now, we're lucky to get home before 9pm but we still spend even just a little time with the kids. Weekend is bawi time though.

Re. empty nests: This is one reason why i do not intend to have a large home. Kids will grow and and i'll have left are my cars... er... my wife.

Lol bro. I have the same philosophy. In fact, Im into investing in a much smaller space for our retirement home where everything is within reach - mall, hospital, parks, movie house - as my wife and I are more into urban life. I dont expect to drive anymore when I grow old as I need to do a lot of walking. Well, maybe a bike would be an option. I bet traffic would be worse by then. The current condo? The kids (errr adults) will worry about it.

[dr. d]

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All your children are married na?

not really.. not in the usual manner....
they're married to their school activities..

can't blame them. i was also married to my school activities when i was their age..
but i do see more of them in the weekends..

[XTO]

My monday work sched is 12-8pm and i can reach home by 8:20pm - cruising / pasyal mode with my scoot but can take it in 10 mins if i wish to be a kamote rider. Tue to Fri is from 7 to 4pm and same 15-20 mins ride going home. Wife's branch follows mall hours so 11 to 7 and sometimes till closing at 9pm or 10pm on weekends - she can choose her rest days though.

My eldest is in college (V. Cruz Taft) so hatid sundo ko sa LRT Roosevelt whenever i'm available - commute siya if not. The 2 younger ones have school service back and forth pa so pagdating kanya kanyang aral na sila with my pasingit singit questions about the day while preparing dinner and while having pale pilsens hahaha. On weekends, minsan mga di mo rin ma istorbo sa dami ng assignments nila - have to ask them pa kung pwede sila lumabas or umalis... Basta as long as libre lahat (work or school) sige lang.

Time is precious, years back mga babies, nursery, prep sila ngayon college, grade 10 and 4 na....

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

My monday work sched is 12-8pm and i can reach home by 8:20pm - cruising / pasyal mode with my scoot but can take it in 10 mins if i wish to be a kamote rider. Tue to Fri is from 7 to 4pm and same 15-20 mins ride going home. Wife's branch follows mall hours so 11 to 7 and sometimes till closing at 9pm or 10pm on weekends - she can choose her rest days though.

My eldest is in college (V. Cruz Taft) so hatid sundo ko sa LRT Roosevelt whenever i'm available - commute siya if not. The 2 younger ones have school service back and forth pa so pagdating kanya kanyang aral na sila with my pasingit singit questions about the day while preparing dinner and while having pale pilsens hahaha. On weekends, minsan mga di mo rin ma istorbo sa dami ng assignments nila - have to ask them pa kung pwede sila lumabas or umalis... Basta as long as libre lahat (work or school) sige lang.

Time is precious, years back mga babies, nursery, prep sila ngayon college, grade 10 and 4 na....

[1D4LV]

kiddo is in 4 year HS na, so pag dating ko sa bahay, nagawa na nya ang dapat gawin. all i have to do is to ask him how his day was.
tapos medyo detailed na kwentuhan pag dating ng dinner. tapos kanya kanya na ulit.

one thing that we have managed to do since my kid was still small:

a. kwentuhan sa dinner.
b. one bonding session during weekends. be it dinner, lunch, a trip to the golf driving range, walking our dog, etc.... basta merong isa every week.

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kiddo is in 4 year HS na, so pag dating ko sa bahay, nagawa na nya ang dapat gawin. all i have to do is to ask him how his day was.
tapos medyo detailed na kwentuhan pag dating ng dinner. tapos kanya kanya na ulit.

one thing that we have managed to do since my kid was still small:

a. kwentuhan sa dinner.
b. one bonding session during weekends. be it dinner, lunch, a trip to the golf driving range, walking our dog, etc.... basta merong isa every week.

[jick.cejoco]

Regrets come later. I should have spent more time with them but I had to work harder. Now, I have more time but they have grown. Soon I will have an empty nest and no grand kids yet in sight.

[CLAVEL3699]

Tapos na ako sa sobrang pagtratrabaho.

I make sure na uuwi ako sa office nang 5pm... walang schedule anything kahit president pa namin magpatawag dahil before I signed the contract na specify no work beyond 5pm pero kung nasa ibang bansa ako ibang usapan na yun.

Kailangan by 7pm nasa house na ako para sa Dinner Time namin nang 12yrs old na boy ko... walang cellphone at computer pagnasa house ako "only emergency call from the office lang pwede ko tanggapin".

Nood lang kami nang TV hanggang 9:30PM then matutulog na kami... kahit ganun na katanda anak ko gusto nya tabihan ko muna sya bago matulog, hayyyy hanggang kailan kaya ang kalambingan nya.

Every week end my son decide kung saan nya gusto magpunta wala kaming say ni misis dun depende na lang kung tinatamad ako lumayo.

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Tapos na ako sa sobrang pagtratrabaho.

I make sure na uuwi ako sa office nang 5pm... walang schedule anything kahit president pa namin magpatawag dahil before I signed the contract na specify no work beyond 5pm pero kung nasa ibang bansa ako ibang usapan na yun.

Kailangan by 7pm nasa house na ako para sa Dinner Time namin nang 12yrs old na boy ko... walang cellphone at computer pagnasa house ako "only emergency call from the office lang pwede ko tanggapin".

Nood lang kami nang TV hanggang 9:30PM then matutulog na kami... kahit ganun na katanda anak ko gusto nya tabihan ko muna sya bago matulog, hayyyy hanggang kailan kaya ang kalambingan nya.

Every week end my son decide kung saan nya gusto magpunta wala kaming say ni misis dun depende na lang kung tinatamad ako lumayo.

[vinj]

Lol bro. I have the same philosophy. In fact, Im into investing in a much smaller space for our retirement home where everything is within reach - mall, hospital, parks, movie house - as my wife and I are more into urban life. I dont expect to drive anymore when I grow old as I need to do a lot of walking. Well, maybe a bike would be an option. I bet traffic would be worse by then. The current condo? The kids (errr adults) will worry about it.

At the rate we're all going, in due time we'll be posting "what car should i buy na best for a Senior Citizen"?

Regrets come later. I should have spent more time with them but I had to work harder. Now, I have more time but they have grown. Soon I will have an empty nest and no grand kids yet in sight.

Cue: Cats in the Cradle

[Morz]

My weekday mid shift sched means i wake up after they left for school and come home to find them past asleep. Bawi na lang pag weekends but i still have to compete with their tablets and computer. So madalas i plan for family day out pag sat or sun

[macsd]

Regrets come later. I should have spent more time with them but I had to work harder. Now, I have more time but they have grown. Soon I will have an empty nest and no grand kids yet in sight.

No regrets sir, gawa ka bago thread title, "How much time you spent making another kid?"

[CVT]

Bros.,- I am posting this again in this website....

Please take time out to read and reflect....

It could be life-changing....

"I guess

It's just

The way

It used

To be......."

For many people , work now is the emotional and spiritual
center of life. Writer John Updike was right when he said , "We may
live well, but that cannot ease the suspicion that we no longer live
nobly." I hear this from other people . I meet many who are burned
out from work , who are disillusioned with their professions. We seem
spiritually damaged by the pernicious cycle of working, wanting and
having as ends in themselves.

Workaholism and its handmaidens, careerism and materialism,
aren't only social issues - they are religious issues. As Dianne Fassel
wrote in Working Ourselves to Death, "Work is a god for the compulsive
worker, and nothing gets in the way of this god." Work becomes an end in
itself, a way to escape from family, the inner life, the world.

All genuine religions are concerned with the shattering of false
gods. How can we break the false gods of career?

** First, remember the most profound revolution in religious
thinking: the Sabbath. Whether one celebrates it on Friday, Saturday or
Sunday, its spiritual reality goes beyond ritual. It is the ultimate
statement that the world does not own us, that we are made for rest and
holiness as surely as we are made for ambition.

** Second, don't sacrifice your family on the altar of career.
The journey up the ladder to success has brought us much wealth. But it
has also devalued the traditional role of the parent as nurturer and
teacher.

In the Yiddish song " Mayn Yingele" ("My Little One"), a father
sings to his sleeping child:


I have a son, a little son
A boy completely fine.
Whenever I see him, it seems to me
That all the world is mine .

But seldom, seldom do I see
My child awake and bright.
I only see him when he sleeps;
I'm only home at night.

It's early when I leave for work;
When I return, it's late.
Unknown to me is my own flesh,
Unknown is my child's face.

When I come home so wearily
In the darkness after day
My pale wife exclaims to me;
"You should have seen our child play."

I stand beside his little bed;
I look and try to hear.
In his dream he moves his lips:
"Why isn't papa here?"

That song was written in 1887 , but the anguish of the parent
who has impalled himself on the sword of ambition has not changed.

** Third, don't judge yourself by what you do, but by the
meaning you bring to it. Many people have transformed dull work into a
true vocation- into a place where they hear the voice of something
deeper and higher.

We never know what we do in our work that will be remembered ,
that will be holy. It has nothing to do with our job titles. It has
everything to do with the faith , vision and love that we bring to it.


This article is condensed from " Being God's Partner : How to
Find Hidden Link Between Spirituality and Your Work,"
Copyright 1994 by Jeffrey K. Salkin, Published by Jewish Lights
Publishing, Woodstock, Vermont ,U.S.A.
This material also appeared in the Wall Street Journal (December
29, 1994)
Also published in Reader's Digest (October 1995)

"The measure of a man is what he does with power" LJIOHF!

27.7K _/_/_/_/_/:boat:_/_/_/_/_/

[jick.cejoco]

No regrets sir, gawa ka bago thread title, "How much time you spent making another kid?"

That would be nice thir, but I will be doing disservice to the kid/s. Won't be able to be an energetic dad to them and might not be there to witness their college graduation