As the saying goes, quality is far better than quantity. Research published inthe Journal of Marriage and Family reinforces that spending quality time with your kids is more important than the amount of actual time you spend. Kids will have better development of well-being, academic achievement, andbehavior among the many benefits. So, how can you turn that time together into something more impactful?
– Make the most of mundane moments
Most parents spend a fair amount of time shuffling their kids to and from school and other activities. Instead of riding in silence, use those moments to make an impact with learning. Ask your child what the best and worst part of their day was. Some days, these conversations might be superficial while others, they may bring your closer together than you think.
– Commit to 10 minutes
Life is busy for parents, but leave work stuff at work (even if you’re still working from home). Give each child just 10 minutes of your time each day. Don’t let anything interrupt it and do an activity, have a chat, and just enjoyhaving fun together. You can even pull out the ice cream and all the toppings and make sundaes together.
– Get outside
outsideNature has a soothing effect on all of us. It’s a place of peace and exploration. Take your kids out there to breathe fresh air and see the creatures that thrive in your local area. See how many birds or butterflies you can see. Getting outdoors with your kids can help you build very strong connections while learning and having fun.
– Let your kids pick
Have one day each week where your children have a say in what you do for your time together. You can have them fill a jar of suggestions and let them take turns picking to see what you’ll do next. This element of pre-approved surprise is a great way to shake things up and strengthen your bond.
– Stay healthy together
Teach your children early on about healthy practices. Make it a family thingto ride bikes together or go for a swim. Shake things up by making an obstacle course in your backyard and laugh along the way. There are great opportunities to keep in shape while making this time have more meaning.
– Eat as a family
One of the best things you can do to make time together more meaningful isto sit down at the dinner table with everyone in the family. Try to do so every night, but if everyone has conflicting schedules, make sure that you set one night together. Power off devices and the TV and connect on this basic level of enjoyment.
– Plan activities with your kids
Power up your devices again and use an app. Look for an app that helps youfind real life activities and games that you can do with the whole family. With an app like Active Fun Learners for example, you can find fun activities, encourage parent-kid bonding and learning, and keep the family active.Which activities will you do first to spend more time having fun and learningwith your children?
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