Five Ways to Spend Quality Time With Your Children

low-cost summer family fun ideas a bunch of kids dumping buckets of water on their dad in a park Middle Class Dad

With most parents having busy lives, it can be difficult to make the most of the time we spend with our children. Here are some ways to ensure that your time together is meaningful, whether that is creating memories or helping them learn and develop interests.

Buying them meaningful gifts

For birthdays and other special occasions, you can give them something which will help them to learn, and you can assist them with it. This will give you the perfect opportunity to spend quality time together as you help them to understand how to use the gift.

For example, at Wicked Uncle, you can narrow down your gift options to suit boys or girls of different ages, based on their interests. So, if you search for a gift for a 9-year-old girl, then choose the โ€˜round the worldโ€™ category, your options will include a world map pillowcase which your child can doodle on and a cube book about the human body. Both of these would help her to learn, and you would be there to offer help if she needed it.

Do household chores together

Household chores might not seem like a way to spend quality time together. However, chores help your child to learn about having responsibilities. These donโ€™t have to be difficult tasks. If you help, it can often be a good time for your child to talk to you about anything, from problems theyโ€™re having at school, to just getting to get to know more about their current interests.

Find ways to spend time outside

Some children are more reluctant than others to spend time outside, preferring to play video games. You can find fun activities to coax them out of the house. Rather than trying to get them to find things to do, you can take them to boating lakes, local parks or anywhere else where you might get to spend time together in a fun environment outdoors.

Encourage them to be creative

You can also encourage your children to explore their creative side, even if youโ€™re not that creative yourself. In fact, taking up card making, painting pottery, or drawing together can be a great way to bond. Youโ€™re both learning something, and even if youโ€™re bad at it, your child will be glad you tried and will find you’re less than perfect attempts funny.

Learn about the things they enjoy

It can seem like the things that children enjoy these days, such as TV shows and games, and the crazes they get obsessed with are completely different from the things we grew up with. However, by learning more about these, youโ€™ll be able to communicate better with your child, because youโ€™ll have a better understanding of the things they are talking about.

Quality time with your child doesnโ€™t have to be expensive, and it can be fun. You can both get to know each other, often without your child or you realizing or having to try too hard. The best quality time spent with your child is when youโ€™re both immersed in the moment and conversation flows easier.

 

Jeff Campbell