Make the most of your summer time with the children

According to Theophrastus, one of Plato’s greatest scholars, “time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” Along a similar vein, nineteenth century writer, Henry Mackay, once said “time is free, but it is priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.”

To understand the importance……

of one year, ask the student who just failed their finals (or the one who just got a First)

of one month, ask the mother who has just given birth to a premature baby

of one week, ask the person who has just survived a natural disaster

of one day, ask the cancer sufferer who has just one left

of one hour, ask the child who must wait one more for a parent to return from a long business trip

of one minute, ask the commuter who has just missed the last bus

of one second, ask the driver who has just avoided an accident

of one millisecond, ask the sprinter who won silver in the Olympics

The difference between too early and too late is never more than a moment. Decide right now to value every moment of the summer holidays by arranging to work from home, because though they say time is more precious than money, money still needs to be earned. But you can manage the money earning to fit in around some quality time with the children. And you will save several days, if not weeks, worth of commuting time.

Imagine sitting in your garden office, watching the kids play outside while you crack on with your email backlog with no interruptions from colleagues wanting a quick chat. Taking a quick break with the children for a kick about with a ball and a snack, before getting back to your lovely office bathed in natural light. And so the days can go by, in a relaxed blend of work and play.

Another big thinker, M Grundler (OK, even Wikipedia doesn’t know who he is, but he’s attributed with some great pearls of wisdom) pointed out that “the best inheritance a parent can give their child is a few minutes of their time each day.” So make the most of your summer moments, spend your time wisely and create some memories.