When life is busy it can be hard to be intentional about making time for your kids. The whirlwind of to do lists, carpool, cleaning, and cooking is overwhelming to say the least.
I know I’m not the only one who has been staring at my phone, scrolling through Pinterest, and trying to figure out how to make my flower beds the best on the block this spring. Only when these little insignificant things were taking time away from my family did I realize that I needed a change.
This isn’t to say I don’t engage in things like this anymore. Yes I still want to have a beautiful flower garden, but it is no longer a priority of mine to have the best on the block. Instead of trying to be perfect all of the time I am trying to engage more with my family.
It doesn’t take much. All kids need is a few of your minutes per day of undivided attention to fill their love tank. I read the book Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford and it inspired me to actually look at my daughter in her eyes when we are having a conversation rather than focusing on something else (like my phone!) and giving her a half hearted response.
Here are 15 things you can do to make time for your kids and give them that one on one interaction that they need so badly.
- Go on a walk together. You would be amazed at the conversations that come up!
- If you have young kids, take them to the park.
- Have a family game night.
- Make it a tradition for you all to sit down every Sunday night and have movie night!
- Sit down and color in coloring books with them.
- Ask them to show you something that they are passionate about.
- Take them to get ice cream. It will make them feel so special.
- Spend one on one time with them. Without the other children if possible!
- Sit down with them while they do their homework and help them or have them explain to you what they are learning.
- Eat dinner together at the dinner table. No electronics! Have each person tell the rest of the family something good that happened that day.
- Let them help you cook dinner. Sometimes you can’t avoid being busy, but you can still engage with your children in unique ways like this!
- Do a simple craft or activity with them.
- Give them a specific and regular time to have you all to themselves. That way they know when it is coming and can look forward to it!
- Read a book together.
- Play outside with them! Even if you end up just watching, do not play on your phone.
Putting your phone down and engaging can be a hard habit to break. So if at all possible, when you are spending this one on one time with your kids just leave it in the other room.
Life is so much less stressful for me now that I know that my kids won’t care about mom being just as good as the other moms at the bake sale. What they truly care about is me making time for them and enjoying our time together.
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