Quality time with Kids
Zig Ziglar says it best “To a child, “love is spelled, t-i-m-e”.
As parents, we know time is one of the best gifts we can give our kids, ironically time is something we can’t spare much of 😊.
Quality time with our children is more than just having fun, it is mainly about giving our kids our undivided attention. I mean our kids follow us wherever we go – sometimes even to the most private places like the bathroom 😊.
It’s hard to think that we are not giving them our time. More than just giving them our time, it’s really about quality time – showing them our love by carving out time and being intentional when we are with them.
It’s all about being present.
We are all busy and frazzled, some parents more than the others, so when we get some time off, we need to forget about everything else and be there for our kids.
When spending time with our kids, it’s important to let go of the ‘fear-based drive’ toward perfection and enjoy parenting with love (and some silliness).
Let’s get childish and create precious memories with our children. Actually our children’s eyes light up like a Christmas tree when they see us act and laugh like children (They really LOVE that)!
Think about it. Why do our kids open up and relate to their friends so easily? It’s because they can relate with their friends, they see themselves when they look at their friends. While we don’t want to be “friends” to our kids, we need to be conscious to let our hair down and be silly, be a child again so they can relate with us and be more open around us.
How to make the most of our quality time with our kids? That's the fun part!
1- Have fun & be silly!
Doing entertaining activities with our kids at a very early age allows them to engage and interact with the world around them. Plus, it supports our kids' development and their ability to plan.P.S. They don’t have to be energetic activities. When we feel drained, we can always watch a movie and have snacks together.
2- It’s time to cook together.
Children love to help! And they love kitchen utensils more than with the toys we buy them. We might not have the time for that often, so doing it once every so often makes a difference.
Decide on a dish together, gather the ingredients, prepare the utensils and have fun! Fun for your kids might be making a mess as you cook, be mindful not to allow the parent in you to ruin the moment by expecting everything to be neat and clean. Let kids be kids. Let the memories of spending time with you bring them laughter and not anxiety.
Involving our kids with household chores in general teaches them self-discipline and enhances their sense of responsibility -It is a great way to connect with our children when we have very little time.
3- Get outside & enjoy nature.
Walking outdoors together; the perfect routine. Many advantages fall under this routine:
- Spending time outside develops our kids' sense of independence and social skills. A great and healthy distraction from sitting in front of screens
- Nature and exposure to green spaces improve health and promote imaginative play and curiosity.
- Gives us an opportunity to know our kids more, because with one on one time, they share more stories with us.
- Oh! And a good vitamin D dose from the sun!
4-Tell (and SHOW) them we love them, every day.
Saying ‘I love you’ is not the only way to express our love for our children. Just like adults, we believe children have love languages too. For one child, it is spending quality time - cuddled up on the couch and watching a movie together. For another, their love language might be doing something with them like building a house with Legos or going out on a bike ride with them. Find out what your child’s love language is and look for ways to show them love in a way they understand. When we show our kids love, they will definitely return it back with confidence and trust.
As parents, we don’t have a minute even for ourselves, but we have to balance and Integrate "together-time" into our schedule. Certainly, we'll look back and be thankful for the memories we have built.