2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
Time, we would always take more! It's true for everyone, and especially for parents: we run out of time, it slips through our fingers and it goes by too quickly.
Spending time together
Of course, children like to spend time with their parents. Better still: the time spent with the family contributes on the one hand to solidifying the bonds between its members. Indeed, the bond of attachment is woven before the age of six and it is important to maintain it afterwards. Above all, spending time with your child allows him to feel loved, supported, listened to, which gives him the feeling of being part of a solid core. As a result, he has more self-confidence and he flourishes.
Quality VS quantity
We can hear you starting to feel guilty from here: but am I spending enough time with my children? With routine, metro, work, sleep, you barely have time to breathe! Don't worry: while it has been proven that spending time with family is essential, it has also been proven that it is the quality of this time that counts, not the quantity. It is indeedThis was proven by a study published last year in the journal Journal of Marriage and Family. In short, no need to beat yourself up for taking a romantic weekend away or working long hours at the office. Some weeks are busier than others; it's normal to be tired.
Plan
It's best to plan your family time, especially if you have a busy schedule. We often have the habit of waiting, telling ourselves that, since we all live under the same roof, we will inevitably spend time together. Yet the simple act of freeing up a block in his day, even just an hour, makes the time spent with our child a much better quality.
We can also promise ourselves little moments, easy to integrate into our tightly-honed routine: like supper time (not in front of the television, of course), or a weekly outing to the museum, at the park…
One-on-one time
Family time together is priceless… but booking one-on-one dates with your child is just as important. This is all the more true when there are several. A date with his oldest, on occasion, is very pleasant, for him, and for us. Dad takes the opportunity to spend time with the youngest. We have also compiled a list of tips for you to spend quality timewith every child.
Find activities that everyone enjoys
Spending quality time is much easier if you do an activity that everyone enjoys. This is why it is important to listen to all members of the family, and to respect the choices and tastes of each. Sign up for classes together (climbing, dancing, skateboarding, soccer…); get involved with a non-profit organization (food distribution, etc.); ride a bike, run, hike…
Do you like the arts? Form a movie club: watch a movie together a week and make time to chat afterwards. Or, subscribe to a theater!
Stop all
It's fascinating (or scary) how good at multitasking we've become. And the famous smartphone, which allows us to take our messages, no matter where we are, has a lot to do with it. When you take family time, give yourself a gift: stop everything. A single hour of being 100% with your child is far better than an entire day of juggling calls and other tasks.
Sometimes spending time with your child means sitting down with him in front of his favorite show, without a book, without a phone. Just hearing you laugh next to him will make him happy! Sometimes it's just to take fifteen minutes
to draw with him. Spending quality time with each other doesn't have to be complicated.
Setting an example
You are of course the number one role model for your children and it is important that you lead by example. If your children feel that quality family time is important to you, it will be important to them too.
Listen
Spending time with family isn't just about playing: it's also about listening. If the problems of toddlers sometimes seem trivial, for them they are gigantic. Even as a child, an attentive ear can make all the difference. Remember that the older he gets, the more serious his questions and heartbreaks will be, and if you have always known how to be there for him, without judging him, he will be more inclined to open up to you. He must feel that you are there to support him and this confidence is built little by little, in each of these quality moments spent together.
