“Come on mom, you can say it. One word. Two letters. N-O.” – Katie from the Yes Day movie
Do you know that movie? Where its plot is that the kids, Katie as Jenny Ortega, Ellie as Everly Carganilla, and Evan as Julian Lerner, see their family as “no fun” because their parents, Allison as Jennifer Garner and Carlos as Edgar Ramirez, always say “NO” to anything they ask.
As parents, we definitely relate to Allison and Edgar. We sometimes feel like we need to always say “NO” to our children because deep inside we just worry and care about them. But hopefully we will also follow in the footsteps of the parents in this movie, who decided to be “fun parents” and give their kids a “yes day” (hence the title).
The Purpose of Spending Time with Family
Having a “yes day” in your family does not necessarily mean you need to say “Yes” to everything your family says, but simply spending more time with your family is already enough.
Did you know that this simple gesture has so many benefits already? If not, here are some of the benefits we are talking about. If you’re looking for a purpose in spending time with your family, this is it.
- Spending Time With Family Results in Greater Happiness – Of course, who wouldn’t want to hang out with their family? (except if you grew up with family trauma), but if you’re someone who really loves being with their family, for sure greater happiness will come to you.
- Spending Time With Family Develops Positive Behaviors – Being in a positive environment will definitely result in you developing positive behaviors too.
- Spending Time With Family Can Help Your Children Be a Good Friend – Yes, because spending more time with your family means you’re being a role model for them. The more positive the environment around your children, the more positive they become with their friends.
- Spending Time With Family Results In Fewer Behavioral Problems – Spending time with family is not always about fun, but sometimes this is also the best time to communicate the misunderstandings you have with one another.
- Spending Time With Family Strengthens Family Bonds – This is connected to the previous one. As you have fewer problems with your family, your relationship gets stronger. As you solve your problems as a family, your bond as a family still keeps on growing stronger.
These benefits not only affect your relationship with the other people around you, but also with your own mental health. But of course, if you want to spend time with your family, do it not because you want to earn something out of it or gain some benefit from it. Do it wholeheartedly because this is simply what you want, and once you do this, the true purpose of your action will appear on its own without force.
If you’re someone who is having a problem with their family, do not hesitate to seek help from a mental health professional like us. Shirley Therapeutic and Consulting Services, LLC is a diverse therapy clinic that can meet the needs of anyone. If you’d like to talk about your mental health, feel free to message us here.
References:
Admin. (2017, August 18). The importance of spending time together. Parenting NI. Retrieved August 9, 2022, from https://www.parentingni.org/blog/time-together-importance/
Features, F. (2022, May 9). Spending time together – benefits of family time. Pittsburgh Parent. Retrieved August 9, 2022, from https://www.pittsburghparent.com/spending-time-together-benefits-of-family-time/
IMDb.com. (2021, March 12). Yes day. IMDb. Retrieved August 9, 2022, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8521876/
