Parental supervision is a critical factor for raising children so some argue that even during free time, youngsters need to be with their family members. Yet, such perspective is seen not only insignificant but also detrimental. Although sharing leisure time may induce conflicts among family members, the benefits of spending this time with parents and siblings is more.
To begin with, children spend a substantial amount of time at home and it is advisable not to do so during free time. Should the younger individuals share hobbies with their parents and not their peers, they will not be able to develop interpersonal skills, learn how to work in groups, and build character. Being constantly with parents, therefore, is not recommendable. Moreover, during family-centered free time activities, some disagreements may arise owing to generation gap and lack of understanding caused by fast-paced changes of modernity. Considering modern hobbies that the majority of them, if not many, involve cutting-edge technologies and the use of internet, older parents might struggle to accompany their children as the younger ones crave for playing with machines like PS5 and X-box and the parents do not fancy playing the games, leading to negative impact on child-parent relationship.
On the other hand, spending time at home can strengthen family bond. If households at different ages make an effort to enjoy shared activities, their relationship can get closer, resulting in better understanding of each other. For one, children can learn how to enjoy a relaxing time at the beach and parents may be willing to learn about the breakthroughs in video games, all triggering a robust family bond. Furthermore, due to lack of parental monitoring, some peers might pressurize their friends to participate in activities that is not appropriate for them, like smoking cigarette, marijuana, and drinking alcohol under 18 which are irreversibly detrimental. Thus, were the parents supervise their children, misbehavior by children would be minimized.
In conclusion, while some argue that not only is it not critical to spend free time with family members, but it may end in conflicts and adverse impact on beloved ones, other, including me, deem that spare time shared within family can boost the relationship intimacy and protect children against disadvantageous peer pressure.