Family life can be very busy, and sometimes the suggestion that parents need to spend more time one-on-one with their kids can feel like an impossible task. However, if you can fit this into your family schedule, it really can make a huge difference in terms of the relationship you have with your children, and their confidence. Read on for three reasons why maintaining one-on-one time is vital.
It Helps You Bond
How well do you know your children as individual people? As children grow older, it can be easy for parents to see the infants in them and forget that they are developing into independent individuals. Taking some time—even just half an hour a week—to talk about their interests, friendship concerns, school experiences, or random stuff, can help you keep in touch with the person they’re becoming. It also demonstrates that you care, making them more likely to turn to you if they have a problem or serious concern.
It Can Clear the Air
As your children get older, it’s more likely that they will have disputes with the adults around them, including you. Whilst this is a normal part of teenage development, it can be frustrating and upsetting. Choosing time with them one-on-one, when you’re both calm and relaxed, can help to clear the air after an argument. You can even talk about what happened, and get their point of view on the issues—teenagers are often quite opinionated and it’s likely that your teen will have some ideas about what you can do differently next time to avoid an argument!
It Can Help Your Child Understand You
If you’re still seeing a toddler at times when you look at your child, they will struggle to see the adult beyond Mom or Dad when they look at you. Spending time one-on-one will help your child to get to know you as a person, which is really important as your child gets older and more independent. This will lay the foundations for the two of you to have a healthy, loving relationship when you’re both adults, as opposed to staying stuck in a ‘parent-child’ dynamic forever.