Too Much Family Time Can Have Negative Effects

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Too much of a good thing”? You might attribute that to things such as good wine or too much chocolate, but you probably do not associate that with family time, right? You might be surprised to learn that you actually can spend too much time together with your family, which is really detrimental on several levels. Experts recommend spending plenty of time as a family, because children whose families spend a lot of time together are happier and do well in school, but they also agree that it can harm the kids and it can harm your marriage. Here are three signs you spend too much time as a family.

Date? What?
If you cannot remember the last time you and your husband had time alone – not counting a trip to the grocery store or the time after the kids are in bed – you’re spending too much time with the kids. It’s great to spend time with your kids, but you need at least three to four hours alone, outside of the house, to rekindle your romance and focus on something other than your kids. Go out. Dress up. Have a date.

Your Kids Have No Imagination

When you spend all your time playing with your kids and not allowing them to become bored, they don’t develop their sense of imagination. They are unable to play alone, to entertain themselves and to spend time focusing on their own needs and wants. This can lead to clingy, unhappy older children and adults who find it difficult to play alone and even more difficult to play with other kids because mom and dad are always playing with them.

You Skip Invitations

If you find yourself saying no to things like an hour of time with your girlfriends at lunch or happy hour, or you drag the kids around the mall all day long because you feel that you can’t even run an errand without them, you’re spending too much time with them. Give them a break. Trust me, they need one from you as much as you need one from them.