Having children is one of life’s greatest experiences. We all love to watch them grow and come into their own. However, the demands of life often get in the way of spending quality time with them. When you do get the opportunity to spend time with your kids, away from the demands and pressures of work, you want it to be quality time that builds the relationship and gets the most out of every minute that you are in their company.
While you may get to do the everyday things such as collect them from school, tie their shoelaces, and help them brush their teeth, there’s something very different about having fun with them in an activity that you all can enjoy.
Before you know it, they will be all grown up and the time you put in with them while they are still very young and impressionable will determine much of their experience in communicating with people and authority figures in their future as adults. If your child is already five years old, then you have missed out on 260 Saturdays and Sundays already. Lets help you turn this trend around and enjoy constructive time with your kids that build your relationship.
If you are struggling to come up with ideas to use on how to spend quality time with your kids, then here are four simple ideas that you can implement with plenty of things next time you have the opportunity.
#1 Family Pizza Night
Dinner at home with the family is an important family activity. However, kids get tired of sitting home weekend after weekend and enjoying mom’s good home cooking. Kids minds are active and easily excited, taking them out for a meal may seem like an average activity to the parents but it is incredibly exciting for children.
The challenge is finding a food that everyone enjoys, so why not take them out to a pizza parlor once a month? Everyone loves pizza, even adults, so find a pizzeria with a children’s area and pack them into the car for an evening out. When you arrive at the restaurant, make sure that you make the evening all about them and engage with them wherever you can. Follow them into the play area and laugh with them as they play on the equipment.
#2 Teach Them Practical Skills Around the House
Do you have some chores to do around the house? Make the most of it by adding your kids into the mix. It’s never too early to start teaching kids practical life skills and the sooner you start with it, the better. Most kids view chores as something they would rather not be doing, why help dad fix the faucet when there are video games to play? To overcome this challenge, make your kids the focal point and buy them a toy tool belt and asking them to turn a lug, or tighten a bolt.
Tell them they are your special helper and give them the responsibility of passing you your tools. The key is to get them involved and then praise them every time they do something right. At the end of the chores, offer them an ice-cream and tell them about how proud you are of their achievements and that you couldn’t have done it without them.
#3 Walk it if You Can
Exercise is critically important for the development of your child’s muscular, nervous, and skeletal system. Today’s kids love video games and shy away from physical activity. Take the time to set them on the right path while they are still young and instill in them the values of exercise and its importance to their health. Whenever you get the opportunity to walk somewhere, whether it’s just down to the store or the local park, make sure you grab it and use the time to your benefit. Spend the walk telling them interesting facts about health and their bodies and ask them questions about how they feel physically.
#4 The Videogame Revolution
Kids are captured by the compelling graphics and amazing sounds of video games. Most parents see this as a problem, rather than taking it for the massive opportunity it presents them to develop their relationship with their child. Find out what kind of games your kids enjoy and then bring a new one home that you can all play together. Just make sure that the game is age appropriate, the last thing you want to do is load up a copy of GTA5 and expose your kids to violence.
Final Thoughts
Kids grow up so fast and every concerned parent wants to ensure that their children develop into well-adjusted young adults. The time you put in with them now will greatly affect both their physical and mental development over the years to come. Become a parent that cares and use these four tips to get the most out of the time that you spend with them and strengthen your relationship together.
It’s so important that parents try to spend the quality time with their kids, wherever it may be. I’ve had some awesome talks with my son just taking a walk or while taking a drive.