Modern life can be all rush, rush, rush with little time to do anything except work, take care of the home and look after the kids. When busy parents think of spending quality time with their children, they’re usually thinking about days out, or educational activities; things that are important and special. Of course, sharing activities like these are very important and hopefully will create cherished memories. What you might be forgetting is the chance you have to share time with your kids in a less formal way.
Every day is a good day
Excursions and family activities are usually something you do on weekends or vacation, as they need time, planning and very often will involve a degree of expense. If you only spend one on one time with your kids during special activities, you will be missing out on the chance to have fun and share simple pleasures with them at home. Even if you only have a few minutes, devoting yourself to being with your child is an essential way of strengthening bonds and building mutual respect.
Games, books, and funny videos
There’s no doubt that TV is a significant provider of entertainment for most people, and cuddling up to watch a good movie together can be brilliant; but if you’re looking for a more interactive activity, how about breaking out the Monopoly or having a bash at foosball? Playing games together is a fun way of doing something as a family with no hassle or expense. Reading to their children is something parents do when the child is young, but not so much as they get older. Once your child can read, why not get them to read to you, or take it in turns? The Internet is full of entertaining websites and is a great place to find things to make you laugh. You and your kids could browse together, watching hilarious YouTube videos or looking at funny pictures on lol hit.
Sharing
A lot of kids get home from school and go straight up to their rooms to play video games, or dash outside to play soccer, only reappearing to eat their evening meal before disappearing again until bedtime. One way to spend more time with them is to involve them in whatever you are doing. A good example is cooking, which can be a lot of fun for all ages, plus you have the pleasure of eating a meal together that you have all helped to make. If you are restoring a car, creating a vegetable plot, or just walking the dog, get the kids involved with what you’re doing, and you might be surprised at how interested they become in these activities. If you don’t have any projects on the go, you could start one together, e.g., building a robot, and just go and work on it for half an hour each evening.
What you need to avoid is making the time feel like a chore. Don’t use the kids as gofers, making them fetch coffee and sweep up. Try and really involve them in what you are doing and make the most of being able to chat, have fun and enjoy being together.
Brought to you by our friend, Carol.