Parents, take time for yourselves!

Many texts explain the benefits to parents when they take time alone, but in the article Parents, Kids and Time Alone author Margaret Paul explains that there are benefits to children when parents take time for themselves. She aims to convince parents that there is no reason to feel guilty about taking time for themselves, and that it will actually benefit their children, making them stronger more well-rounded adults. Margaret Paul successfully helps her readers to understand that by taking time alone and making sure their children understand that people need their own time, as well as family and couple time, parents actually help to avoid narcissistic tendencies, to respect other’s time, and ultimately to take responsibility for their own actions and feelings.

Margaret Paul effectively argues that spending time alone is actually being a good parent, because it shows their child that it is important to take loving care of yourself as well as others. Another way a parent can show the importance of time alone is to spend time pursuing their work, hobbies and passions. This will help the child to find the things that ignite their own passions, and allow them to find ways to entertain themselves and spend time alone without feeling uncomfortable. Unfortunately the author states this is something most people do not know how to do, due to constantly being set in front of the TV or constantly entertained by their parents as children. This causes a child to become dependent on others for entertainment and joy. As well as being dependent on others for entertainment purposes, if parents are never taking any time for themselves, never giving their children the opportunity to make independent decisions, they are teaching their children that there will always be someone there who is responsible for meeting their needs

Even without the use of background information or evidentiary support, Margaret Paul successfully makes the very salient point that parents need to spend time alone for their own health, and for the emotional wellbeing of their child. She makes sure that parents understand that by allowing their child to take all of their time the child will develop dependent, narcissistic and selfish tendencies, where as if the child is allowed to see their parents being independent of them and each other, they learn to find their own joy in life and to respect the personal time of others. By taking time alone parents guide their children to healthy, well rounded adults.