How to Spend Quality Time with Your Child

Your child may beg for the latest gadget, coolest toy or newest phone, but what many children prize above all else is quality time spent with their parents. It̵7;s not easy in today̵7;s world to carve out chunks of free time, but quality time is essential for the health of the family, according to Parent.com. Not only does quality time help you get to know your children better, but it gives them a glimpse of who you are. Best of all, quality time doesn't have to be a special event -- it can be incorporated into everyday life.

Instructions

    • 1

      Ask for input. What your child defines as quality time might be very different than how you would see it. One child might like to just sit and talk over lunch, for example, while his brother might prefer to go to a ball game.

    • 2

      Meet your child at her level. In addition to getting feedback, parents should be willing to meet their children where they are. If your little one wants to play her 15th game in a row of checkers, then don't try to talk her out of it. Instead, sit down and play checkers.

    • 3

      Plan it. Write it in your planner just as you would an important meeting, and treat it as such.

    • 4

      Make it a tradition. Quality time should not be a one-time event. Think of it as a date night for the family.

    • 5

      Make it a spontaneous event. Along with scheduled time with your kids, look for other opportunities that you can turn into quality time. If you need to paint the fence, for example, instead of plunking your son down in front of the television to keep him busy while you work, slap a paintbrush in his hand instead. Working together is a great way to bond with your children.

    • 6

      Make it an everyday event. Gathering the family around the dinner table each night is a great way to spend quality time with your children -- but not if they are all looking at their phones. Confiscate phones before dinner, and set yours aside as well.

    • 7

      Find a new hobby. Enroll the entire family in cooking class, for example, or in a pottery class. And on your way to and from the class, make it a rule that everyone unplugs in the car -- no phones or gaming devices -- so that you can talk about what you are learning and experiencing.

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