How to Give Children Individual Attention

Spending time with each of your kids should be a natural part of your daily and weekly routines, and it doesn't have to take up all of your time either. By getting to know each of your children as an individual with his own interests, talents, temperaments and limits, you can find just the right way to give each the attention the child needs to thrive as a person. Then you can incorporate time with each child into your family̵7;s schedule in a way that benefits everyone.

  1. Discover Needs

    • Just like adults, children are unique people with different needs and wants in life. Spending relaxed time together throughout your daily routines gives you a chance to get to know what makes each of your children happy, sad, excited, scared, frustrated, motivated or nervous. You can then use that knowledge to tailor your time together to best benefit each particular child. For instance, if your preschooler loves to sing and dance, do it with her while dusting or folding laundry while her big sister is at school.

    Share Interests

    • Discover what you and each of your children have in common and make it a joint effort. If your teenager enjoys sawing and hammering as much as you do, enlist his help on your latest backyard project. Or have your grade school-aged daughter who loves to bake join in when you prepare a special family dessert. These activities not only help you bond as a parent-child unit, they help both of you to grow as individuals as well.

    Plan Dates

    • Quality one-on-one time doesn̵7;t have to be planned weeks in advance or take up too much time. Parenting.org suggests five-minute ̶0;dates̶1; tailored to each child̵7;s age and interests. For instance, a younger child might want to dance to her favorite song while your tween might prefer to play a quick card game. Parenting.org also recommends you set a timer to track the start and finish of each date. Sprinkle these mini dates throughout the week and you will have managed to spend fun, worthwhile time with all of your children.

    Get Out

    • Use time away from your home to offer one-on-one time, too. Rotate which child gets to join you on weekly grocery shopping trips or to drop off recycling. Switch up which parent drives each child to sport events or practices, using the drive time to talk and listen. You could even volunteer with your child at a local animal shelter or food bank to spend additional time together while helping others.

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