Children love spending time with their parents, especially when those parents are usually very busy. It’s important to remember that simply allocating some time for being with your child is not enough, though; it needs to be quality time. The difference between just being with your child and spending quality time with your child is the focus you give it. You can be with them all day long and not really be focused, or you can be with them for an hour and be totally in the moment; the latter is better.
So here are some lovely ways to spend quality time with your children and make memories together that will last a lifetime.
Just You and Them
One of the best ways to really spend some quality time with your child is to make sure it’s just you and them. They don’t want to have to share you with anyone else because this is their time, and you don’t want to be distracted by anyone else being there with you. When you are with your child in a one on one setting, you can bond a lot more and enjoy things that you both love without anyone else being involved. If there are other children, then take them out together, of course, but also take them out individually to do something that is just for you – it’s your time.
Get Them Involved
Sometimes it really is difficult to find that special time to put aside to spend with your child. If this is the case, then get them involved in helping you carry out household chores or other simple tasks. You can make anything fun when it’s a mom or dad and child trip out. Take the grocery store, for example – they can help you find the right food and tick things off your list. Then they can help you prepare food using the ingredients you just bought. This will give them life skills as well as giving them the chance to spend time with you.
Be Present
Being present and focused is the most important part of spending quality time with your children. If you find that you can’t concentrate and really focus just on them, then you need to look into why that might be. If it’s because you know you have work to do, for example, then perhaps it’s time to book some vacation time so that you can really be with your children. If it’s because you are struggling with alcohol or another addiction, then a private rehab could be your best course of action. No matter what the reason for your inability to focus, you need to deal with this before you can really have any quality time with your children.
Write Notes
There may be days, perhaps even weeks, when your schedule just doesn’t allow for any quality time. Make sure your kids know you are still thinking of them by leaving them notes for when they wake up in the morning, or when they get home from school. Let them know you love them and that you’re looking forward to spending time with them soon. The novelty of getting a note from a parent makes this something to cherish, and kids love the surprise element of it too.
