Many people talk about wishing that they had more time to spend with their children. They refer to real quality time, not time where they are shuffling them to practice, telling them to eat their vegetables, or helping them put away laundry. You’d probably agree that if you could get in at least 15 minutes a day of quality time with your children, you’d feel happier, calmer, and more positive about life in general…and so would they.
So, how do you make it happen?
1). Think of your favorite or best memories with your mother or father. What were you doing? Where were you? What were you talking about? Figure out the elements of this memory that you want to give to your child.
2) Many of the times we consider ‘quality time’ include: conversation, laughter, completing a project, or experiencing something new. Which of those sounds most appealing to you? Which seems most possible given your child’s age, personality, and interests?
3) Think about something you enjoy doing and involve your child in it.
4) Think about something you don’t enjoy doing, such as a household chore, and involve your child in it. Although it may take you significantly longer, it can be a great way to have quality time since you are teaching your child important lessons and skills while you are also completing a project together. This leaves you both with the feeling that you did something together, with the added benefit that another chore is completed!
Here are some ideas that people have found most enjoyable:
1) As you are putting your child to bed, tell them a story about your life. Whether it is about getting rejected when trying out for a sports team or about how you and your spouse fell in love, it doesn’t really matter. The key part here is that you are sharing something personal with your child in a soothing and calm part of their day.
2) Tell your child that they have fifteen minutes of your time and they can choose to do almost anything they want with you (in reason, of course). Since children are so used to following directions from you and at school or daycare, this can sometimes throw them off at first. So be patient, don’t make any certain suggestions; instead, just tell them they can choose. Before you know it, you will be participating in a fun activity that your child is guaranteed to enjoy because they picked it.
3) Go outside. Yep, that’s it. It’s winter now, so dress appropriately, but just head outside. Before you know it, there will be something to look at, some project to do, or some game to play!
Enjoy the quality time!
