How to Spend Quality Weekday Time With Your Tween

Finding quality time to spend with your tween on a weekday can be tough ̵1; for both of you. Tweens often have complex schedules filled with school, friends, sports or clubs, hobbies and homework -- their schedules may be only rivaled by their working parents. The only way to be sure to spend quality time together is to make it a commitment and treat it like you do all the others you juggle, adding it to the mix and making certain it happens.

Instructions

    • 1

      Eat together. Everyone has to eat -- mealtime is the perfect time to get social and engage your tween in some quality conversation. Make it a habit to converse about school and anything else he wants to share. Having a "no phones" at the table rule for everyone in the family will help.

    • 2

      Get your tween to participate more around home. All the chores and responsibilities that keep you too busy to have fun with your tween could be the answer to spending time together. Ask him to share some of the load such as helping you clean up the kitchen after dinner each evening. This will help your tween feel like he contributes and is valued -- and the help means you will have a little extra time for something more fun later.

    • 3

      Make time with your tween a priority ̵1; even if it is only 15 minutes a day during the work and school week, while making room for more time on the weekend. Set realistic goals. If spending hours together is never going to happen, create a goal that can happen. A little quality time -- time spent focused on your tween -- can go a long way.

    • 4

      Attend your tween's events. Show you are interested in his interests. Share in his accomplishments. While you might not be able to make every event, attend key events or attend a couple each season or year. Your tween will appreciate that you made time to attend.

    • 5

      Do things together. Walk some place together or hang out while doing errands. Doing something like this while talking can help conversations flow better too. Fix something together. Share some screen time -- if this is the only thing you have time for.

    • 6

      Learn from your tween. Ask him to teach you something or share something with you. This can empower him and reinforce his own learning. For example, you could ask him to teach you a math problem he is working on for homework or a computer skill.

    • 7

      Reminisce a bit. Get out some old photos or talk about past vacations. Share some favorite memories and laugh together.

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