None of us have a ton of time to spend with our kids, nor should we, but we want the time we do spend with them to be meaningful. Here are some quick and painless ways to nab a little extra bonding.
1. Spend those extra minutes in the car chatting about anything that comes to mind. If they’re old enough, they’ll like to hear about you and things you did as a child, your likes and dislikes. It makes them feel like you can relate. Focusing on topics that you know they are interested in is even better.
2. Take 5 minutes when they get home from school to talk with each of them individually about how their day went.
3. Join in once in awhile when they’re doing something goofy like pretending to be Superman or dancing around the living room. It can be a huge release to be completely uninhibited for even a brief minute. It’s so much fun to be a kid!
4. Sing to them while you bathe them, push them on the swings or feed them dinner. Singing cures almost anything, a trick I learned from my mother-in-law. There have only been a handful of times when I haven’t been able to calm one of my kids with singing. (Even if you think you have a horrible voice, do it anyway. They love it.)
5. Create fun occasions, like Pajama Day or Pizza Night, where everyone gets to put the toppings on their own personal pizza. Kids love a fun spin on anything.
6. Try to keep in mind what sort of childhood you’re creating for your kids. Is it calm, pleasant, relaxed? Or is it stressful, rushed and upsetting? Make sure that they’re getting those doses of CPR (calm, pleasant and relaxed) every day. You want them to enjoy being in their home.
7. Every single day, hug your children and tell them you love them. It only takes 10 seconds and it maintains a strong bond between you.
8. Tuck them in a bit early every once in awhile so you have an extra 10 minutes to read that “one more book.”
9. Blow bubbles with them. Who doesn’t love bubbles?
10. At mealtime or bedtime have each of them describe one good thing about the day or one thing they’re thankful for. This makes them focus on the positive aspects of their lives and inspires gratitude.
11. Yes, you get a bonus tip: ENJOY THEM!!
Hello,
I don’ t have any children but, I think those are great ideas. It doesn’t take much to make someone feel loved but, you need to do it, especially when they’re under three feet tall.
Thanks, for the suggestions.
http://ilusciouslife.wordpress.com
sarah, love this list! CPR is a great acronym and easy to remember.
Christine
Need to work on #6….
Our twist to #10 is Favorite & Non-Favorite Parts. At bedtime, we all gather and one by one, we discuss our favorite and non-favorite parts of the day. Each person gets 1 non-favorite and 3 favorites. It’s kind of funny to see how the lists evolve as the kids get older (my 3-yr-old’s favorite parts are the same almost every day, and usually happened about a month ago), but it’s great way to keep in touch with what’s going on with everyone.
Jenny
That is a great idea, Jenny! I should try that. I have two kids that tend to be pretty negative, so making them think about the positive parts of their day can be essential. It’s probably good to give them some room to relate one negative aspect though. =)