With the influx of electronic gadgets that can keep children occupied for hours on end and many a childcare center available to watch over your kids as you work, creating and maintaining a personal bonding seems more challenging than ever. We have found a bunch of simple yet doable ways to squeeze in quality time to help during the formative years of your kids, and they’re as follows:
Learn to include ‘fun’
Apart from teaching your kids to make their bed and help them with arithmetic, including making a bird bath or baking muffins or cookies, let the moment take over and include laughs—even if the outcome is messy or is a disaster.
Sleepover with a twist
Invite the kids to your room from time to time. Make this a no-tech time. Turn off your office phone and hang around together, chat, play board games, or snuggle up while reading a bedtime story. Even better, ask your kids what they would like to do in that time.You may be pleasantly surprised with their ideas!
Sign up for art or music classes
Perhaps take up yoga or self-defense classes? Attend them together. This allows you to spend time outside of your roles as a ‘parent’ and ‘child.’ Apart from developing personality and picking up new skills, this can create a shared comfort level with your children.
Spend time with nature
Summer or not, include long walks or a visit to a nearby park every once in a while. It could be a leisurely post-dinner stroll around the block or tending to the plants in your balcony. This opens up a window to chat up about each others day, too
Hit the road on a weekend
Occasionally surprise your kids by taking them to a farm or someplace you all can have a generous dose of fun. Include stops to soak in the local delicacies on the way! This can teach them that it is more about the journey and spending time together.
All these hold the possibility to create one-on-one time with your children. However, even much earlier you need to care for yourself, too. It is easy to get preoccupied with the new entrant in your life. Particularly, women need to watch for signs during pregnancy and depression related signs. If need be, take initiatives such as treatment for postpartum at a well-equipped hospital like Cloud nine. Ensure first that you are healthy in mind and body so as to be able to cherish the joys of parenthood.
As parents, we need to take it upon ourselves to forge a connection and work at it, from the birthing center on-wards. If ignored, there is a possibility that it may show up in their behavior over time as they grow. As your child grows up, things such as ensuring a ‘no-gadget time’ on a daily basis and including rituals can help you make it happen, explore.