Now that most children are back in school following their winter break, it’s a good time to re-evaluate your child’s life balance.It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of activity and not realize that along the way things may have gotten out of kilter. There are a few life areas I try to keep in check in my kids’ lives. They are:

• educational
• spiritual
• social
• personal
• family

Educational – Because school is such a big part of a child’s life, it’s easy for it to take over all the other areas. If your child is spending all day in school and then evenings and/or weekends doing homework, it’s time to talk to the teacher to get things back to a more manageable balance. Life is more than just school.

Spiritual – Does your child have time for personal BIble reading and devotions, church activities, and service projects? These are all important areas to develop and will help strengthen the inner being of your child. Get this area in balance and all the others will go much smoother as well.

Social – Every child needs some downtime to hang out with their friends. Even if it’s just once or twice a month, social time helps alleviate stress and keeps your child happy and able to cope with everyday stresses.

Personal – This is time your child can be by himself. Maybe he likes to draw, write, read, or listen to music in his room. Give him space to be alone at times so he can think his own thoughts and have a little quiet time to simply enjoy whatever it is he likes to do. It gives him time to decompress from all the things that call for his attention.

Family – This time just with the family should be a priority. Play games, watch TV, go on a walk, do yard work, or anything else that allows you to spend time together. Family time strengthens your bond with one another and gives your child an important sense of belonging.

If any of these areas gets too far out of balance, the others suffer. Do your best to help your child’s life stay on an even keel. Teach her to monitor these areas on her own, so as she grows, she can be aware if one area is taking more of her life than it should. Try to model a balanced life substituting “work life” in place of “educational.” Your child will learn from your example and you’ll both benefit from balanced living.

How do you keep life balanced? What areas would you add to my list?