Family time

As we get older, it is harder to prioritise family time, so it is important to savour it when we get it.

When I was in school, I lived with my sisters. I saw my mum every day, saw my dad every weekend, and felt that I had many outings with my immediate family. But now that I'm a uni student and everyone's schedule has changed, it feels more and more difficult to carve out time to spend with my family.

I recently spent a weekend at an Airbnb with my mum for her birthday. We didn't do too much—this is often the case when you stay in country towns—but savoured the time going for walks together, chatting and relaxing. It felt as if I hadn’t dedicated quality time with her for quite some time, as I am always caught up with study or work when I’m at home. Even though I live with my mum, it feels as if one of us is always rushing off to work, or coming home after a long day and ready for some much-needed alone time.

Maybe a weekend holiday is not always feasible, but it made me recognise that I should be prioritising more time with my family who I see less of now, in the same way that I dedicate time to seeing my boyfriend or my best friends. So maybe this might take the form of watching a movie together, or talking a walk. Small things like this that I might already be planning on doing in the week alone, but I know would mean so much to my family to involve them. I have to remind myself that once I move out this will be even more important, so I should start the habit early!