We love our partners and appreciate the connection with them and our time with the family, but farmers and farming families lead hectic lives. We’re flooded by technology, and we are constantly connected to the things that happen outside our home. That goes for farming families, too. And, because there is often no separation between work and home on the farm, it pays to constantly work to improve relationships, especially in a farm family.
Unfortunately, it is very easy to lose touch with our most valuable relationships as we quickly respond to another email, send a text to a friend, publish a quick update on Facebook, or entertain ourselves on Netflix.
The good news is that there are many easy ways to improve relationships and develop lasting emotional connections with our spouse and children. Working with your significant other can be a dream come true. However, if it’s become a chore, we have some great tips to improve your relationships on the farm.
Tips to Improve Relationships on the Farm
Listen. To keep a healthy relationship with a spouse or children, listen to them. If you’ve had a long day and want nothing more than a quiet, relaxing evening, simply open your ears. Sometimes it’s enough to let them know you are there, and you hear what they are saying. Accept them and witness their emotions.
Share. Share quality leisure time with them regularly. Reserve a space to devote that time alone to them, away from distractions, mobile and social networks, and give them your full attention. You could take the kids to get ice cream and to the park. You could take your significant other to see a movie and out to dinner.
Focus on yourself. Pay attention to your feelings. Instead of using your free time on social networks constantly, stay away from the phone and screens for 30 minutes a day to reconnect with yourself. Try meditation, reading magazines, painting, writing stories, yoga, or a nature walk.
Take some time each day to let your thoughts and worries leave, to purposely get away from the screens and get in touch with who you really are. This practice will help you to find yourself and in turn dedicate more time and attention to your family so you can improve relationships on the farm.
Open your eyes. Maintain eye contact with your children and spouse. Farming is a 24/7 job, and sometimes you may feel like you don’t even have time to stop and look at your family. To improve relationships on the farm, slow down and open your eyes. Develop a daily routine that offers you the time to stop, take a breath, and look your partner in the eye. Whenever you can, every time you talk to them, remember to make eye contact. This helps build a connection and maintain it over time.
Talk. Tell them more about your life. The children want to know what it was like for you to do the things they are learning to do now. Tell them as many stories as you can about your own childhood and adolescence. Here are some things they would love to hear about:
- their grandparents
- when you learned to ride a bicycle
- when you fell in love for the first time and with who
- who went with you to your first dance
- where you were going on vacation with your family
- the books you’ve read
- what did you like most as a child or what were your friends like?
All these details help them feel closer to you and make decisions in their own lives.
You can also surprise a partner by sharing something about yourself that they don’t know.
At Wathen Insurance, we’re here for your crop and hail insurance needs, so you have more time to focus on the important things. We’ll prove you the security and support you need so the next time you take your spouse on a date, you won’t need to worry about work. Give us a call at 765-676-9666 to talk about what we can do for you.
There are many ways to improve relationships on the farm. What kinds of things would you add to this list?
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