As a parent, getting your child to spend quality time with you might feel impossible. While some kids love hanging out with their parents, others prefer to steer clear and only hang out with friends outside of the house. Regardless of what your kid is like, it is important for you to have time for the two of you to talk, bond, and simply be together. We at Parentz Talk have pulled together some ideas of how you can spend some time with your kid so that you both are able to enjoy. Quality time at the grade school age is very important because they are developing and learning more about themselves. You are a crucial part of their life and impact them greatly!
- First it is important for you both to turn off all cell phones and other electronics. If you want to have time to talk to your kid, you both need to disconnect from the virtual world for a bit. It can be hard to turn off for your phones for a long period of time, but even if you are able to be together for an hour without constantly checking your phones, it will be good for the both of you. If all electronics are away, there is a much higher chance that your child will engage in a real conversation with you.
- Eating a meal alone with your child a few times a week is a great way to talk freely. Cooking together is a fun bonding activity, but even going to a restaurant to sit down for a dinner opens an amazing opportunity to spend time together without having to think of a million things at once. It is also a good idea to put the phones away at meals so that you two can really engage in conversation.
- Try something that your child enjoys. For example, if your child loves video games but you have never pictured yourself playing Fifa, try it! Try to be a part of their world and they will open up to you more. You might be able to understand better what your child loves about video games, or whatever activity it may be that they enjoy. Also, you will get credit from their friends for being the cool parent who plays videogames.
- Do something fun and active! This can be interpreted in many ways, from going go-karting to running on the beach together. Kids love doing activities, so whatever you may choose to do together will be fun for the both of you. Encourage them to try new activities. If they have never been horseback riding, bring them. Get them out of their comfort zone and you two will have something to bond over.
- Volunteer together or do something nice for others. Bonding over something done together for others is noble and will make you both feel fulfilled. There are loads of organizations where you can volunteer anywhere in the world that are always in need of two extra people. Volunteer somewhere that your child is interested in and will be excited to go to.
- Bring them for a drive! If you are lucky you might be able to strike up some conversation. Your child also won’t make eye contact with you are driving, so he / she might be more comfortable and feel less awkward about talking to you about certain things.
- Go for a nice long walk on the beach or outdoors. Walking around will take you away from all the distractions of daily life. If your kid needs a break from homework, this is productive and healthy. It will also give you two time to be together and chat in private. If you open up to them, they will probably open up to you more.
- Do a project together! If your child wants to paint his / her room, do it together. Get some overalls and a can of paint and make it your project for a week or two. This will give you something to work on together and you’ll be able to spend that extra time with your teenager. Not only will he / she be happy about the new room color, you’ll also be happy about this time together working towards a common goal.
Overall, any time spent with your kids good time. These activities will be fun for you both and will offer so many opportunities for you to get out of your comfort zone, and for you two to talk about things you otherwise wouldn’t talk about. We know that parenting is not an easy task, but we believe that if you are making a conscious effort to spend time with your kids, they will reciprocate.