Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of our lives today, we can find ourselves pretty removed from the family that is so important to us. Here are 5 things you can do – today! – to improve your family life.

1. Set Boundaries: Set boundaries with yourself, with your kids, with your partner, with your work…  Respecting yourself enough to set limits with those you care about helps to maintain great relationships, even if this doesn’t seem immediately obvious!  If we teach people how to treat us, then we need to teach our families that we say what we mean and mean what we say, that they can count on us to follow through on what we tell them, and that they can predict and rely on our behaviour.  This all leads to a sense of comfort and safety for kids – and it reassures them that you’ll set boundaries in other areas too, i.e. you won’t cancel on seeing her sporting event because work calls at the last minute.

2. Communication: If respect is the first cornerstone, communication is the second. But sometimes we let ourselves step around it because we think we’re too busy (or we’re afraid of what we might hear). It’s never too early, or too late, to teach our children the skill of effective communication.

3. Encourage: Focus on rewarding the effort and not the achievement, and watch your children flourish. They’ll tackle even more challenging tasks and be more willing to try new things when the pressure to perform is gone.

4. Make Quality Time: What your children want more than anything is to feel important to you. You can show them that they matter by really giving them your full attention, regardless of how much time you have.

5. Have Fun: Give yourself time to be spontaneous; don’t fill every waking moment with “to do’s” or scheduled activities.

Whatever the age of your children, they will only pass through this phase once. Savour each moment and resolve to make the most of this time with your family.