An important piece of the parenting we employ in our home is giving our children our time and attention for even just a few moments each day. Taking the time to focus on your kids builds the bond between you and fills the child’s need for affection and belonging. This helps in future instances when there is a trouble. Setting up this as normal when they are young sets up a better foundation for when they are teens and later adults. Now, I do not have first hand experience with teen or adult children as mine are still young, but I do trust the knowledge of those who have both studied brain development and raised children of their own. I also have seen the direct effects this has on my children when I make the effort to be with them compared to when I do not.
This in theory is quite simple. Come home, sit down, play a card game with your child, eat dinner, go to bed. Easy right? Not always. We are wildly distracted in our modern lives. It is hard for some people to leave their phones in another room for 10 minutes. The dog decides that is the perfect time to barf in the living room. The next project needs to be done and work is demanding we finish it NOW. There are 10,000 other tasks that need to be finished.
Probably the biggest obstacle is time. As parents we often feel like there is no time for all of the things we need to do. We have to work full time, keep the house orderly, keep the bills paid on time, keep the car maintenance up to date, make doctor appointments and get the kids there on time, make sure your partner is also getting regular checkups, get the kids into extracurriculars, keep them up to speed on their homework, cook healthy food, clean so many dishes you feel like you are drowning in cups and plates, take care of the pets too, keep a garden, grocery shop, plan parties, keep up with your friends, drive kids to their friends, wash yourself, be sure to keep up with your self care, try to teach your kids how to properly self care, attempt to read a leisurely book, don’t forget to cancel that free subscription before it charges you, manage your finances, nurture your relationship with your partner, buy more batteries, and on and on and on. It never stops. We get home from work and just want to stop thinking. Believe me, I understand. That’s why I say, I have to put forth the effort to make this a priority, because sometimes, it is an effort. I write it onto my daily planner so I cannot forget it. Eventually the act will become routine.
I think another barrier for some people is they don’t have the money to be taking their kids out to places and buying them things. Doing a science experiment with your kid is a great way to spend time together, but what if you don’t have the money to buy the kit? The bills and rent or mortgage are more important than a game your kid wants to play. It’s better that they have food to eat and a place to sleep. You don’t have to spend any money or much to spend that few minutes with your child. They can help you cook dinner. You can color in a coloring book together. Walk to the local library and take a class there together.
In our house, each parent gets an individual time out with each child at least once a month in addition to those little daily moments and a family outting. How exactly do we manage that? We don’t over do the event. It’s certainly special, but it doesn’t have to be elaborate either. Again, the fact that you are giving them your time and attention is what is vital here, not how much you spend or how fancy the event is. My Sister in Law has taken my niece to get pedicures together, but she has also taken her to get an ice cream and that was their Mom & Daughter time.
On our recent Time Out, I took my son to the playground and we played together. Then we went to the International Market and he got to pick out the fruit he wanted to try, and we went home and ate our treats. How exactly is taking your child to the store with you a special event? Because it was just us together, having a good time and experiencing new fruits he hadn’t ever eaten before. The park isn’t fancy, but it was so awesome to him because I was there playing with him. My partner has taken the kids to the store to pick out a game and then came home and played it with them. With my other child, we went and ate the biggest cinnamon roll we’d ever seen, and then went to the library. It was a blast, and honestly so refreshing for both of us.
The important thing here is you spending uninterrupted time with your kids. They need this attention from you. By giving them yourself, they will have a stronger foundation to stand on when they go out. It will make them feel more secure and confident. You really are important to them. It truly is worth the effort it takes to build the relationship with them in small simple ways like giving them 10 minutes of your day or by taking one on one time out together.