Simple Ways Of Spending Time With Your Children

A quick reminder, the theme for the month of December 2009 is focused on relationships. So far I have blogged on reasons for friendship, love relationship tips, resolving difficulties in relationships and ways to get over a broken relationship.

For the next few days, I would be dealing with questions asked by readers of this blog centred on dealing with loneliness, spending time with children and ways to deal with jealousy. It would be great to get more questions highlighting various issues in all forms of your relationships either with your spouse, children, family, friends, colleagues….

Today’s post in context:

I once wrote a post ‘Are you spending time with your children?’ in august 2009 so I’d pretty much be rewriting it here in response to a readers’ question and make a few additions.

Children are a wonderful treasure, they  bring joy to your hearts all the time. You may find ourselves extremely busy, running different jobs to pay the rents, mortgages, debts etc. it shouldn’t stop you from spending some quality time with your children.

CHILDREN ARE OUR HERITAGE. No matter how tight your schedules are, YOU NEED TO SACRIFICE SOME TIME TO BE THERE FOR YOUR CHILDREN. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE!!!! Show them you care and raise them up properly.

I personally believe it’s possible to create time for your children, no matter what you do. It’s about assigning a high level of priority to them. Young boys need their fathers, girls need their mothers, children need parents, they need suitable role models. If you don’t raise your children up properly, they most likely will be raised up on the streets, by thugs, internet, friends and grow possibly picking up habits/behaviours which are alien with your family values.

Spending quality time with your children focuses on:

• Showing them love, care and concern.
• Making them feel accepted.
• Imparting discipline and family values.
• Building their self esteem.
• Giving them the assurance that you are there as a parent to guide, help, monitor, provide for them.

The aim of this post is to suggest simple ways of spending time with your children.

My suggestions are as follows:

• Always assure them of your love for them.
• Give them all your attention.
• Tell them stories either from your life experiences, movies, storybooks….
• Give them loving cuddles and hugs.
• Hear what they have to say about themselves, their current situation, future plans etc.
• Read to your child.
• Share a joke with your children
• Watch a movie together.
• Go shopping together
• Have breakfast/lunch/dinner together.
• Do household chores together e.g. laundry, dishes, go shopping for groceries etc
• Tuck the little ones to bed at night.
• Plan family events and holidays together.
• For those who have come of age, get to know who they are dating and offer advice were necessary.
• Go fishing.
• Help with their homework. It’s a shame if parents don’t feel concerned about their child’s homework.
• Talk about how the day was for them.
• If they like video games, play against them.
• Participate in sports with them e.g. football, basket ball, rugby and occasionally watch the games with them.
• Take long walks with them.
• For those who have an interest in cooking/baking, practice with them.
• For those who have a flair for fashion & beauty, be their models.
• For those who have a passion for singing, acting or have any specific talents encourage them.

Spending time with your children is giving them hope for a brighter tomorrow; it opens a door for enhancing positive relationships.

I look forward to your comments and suggestions.

Ayo Olaniyan is a certified Unitive Life Coach, an Accredited Professional Counsellor with the Counselling Society and the editor of The Life Skills Magazine. For further information, please complete this form.

Tagged as: children