NO doubt, to many of us, time is money. However, is it really true when it comes to family? We live in a fast-paced world. There are always meetings to attend, deadlines to meet, clients to entertain, classes to send the kids to and household work to complete.
It's not surprising then that sometimes we end up paying the wrong price — time less spent with the people who matter most.
The natural reaction for many parents to make up for the unspent time is to spend money on their children. They buy expensive things and the latest gadgets for their kids, hoping that it'd be okay. On top of that, the pocket money that some urban kids are getting nowadays can match an entry-level job out there.
It seems like a fair transaction, but the "family business" isn't like any other business. There are emotions involved. Kids that are growing up require a lot of guidance, love and attention. When parents are not there, the void tends to be filled in various ways. They might turn to other family members, close friends or worse, to the maid!
GIFT OF LOVE
While our responsibilities to our work or our business are important, we know we've crossed the line when we have to use money to transact love and pay for the lost time with the kids. A better strategy is to strive to find the right balance between work and family. Each case would be different, but there's one thing they have in common: That they do not outsource the "business of family" to any other party nor compensate it with money.
Looking back, many of our happiest moments in life happen when we're spending time together with the family. The quality and fun time with our loved ones is indeed priceless. There are many ways that a smart family can spend some leisurely time together without it costing a bomb. I highly encourage you to find one as soon as possible.
We don't have to spend a lot of RMs to create priceless moments. We just need to manage our AM/PM better by putting our family as top priority. Therefore, spend all the available time with them for we don't really have much of that these days.
The children are growing up so fast and before we know it, they'll be ready to leave us. Let's not allow any more time to pass by without creating priceless moments. Remember, the best gift a parent can give to their kids is the gift of love. We don't have to spend any money to get the best thing in life because it's already right there in front of us — a happy, beautiful, smart and bright family!
Zaid Mohamad coaches and trains parents to experience happier homes and more productive workplaces. Reach him at zaid@smartparents.com.my.