As parents, we can feel that the treadmill of life can get in the way, especially when it comes to spending time with our kids. We can work ourselves to the bone, come back home at the end of a long day, and feel like we just want to collapse. But we need to remember that when we’ve got young kids, building a strong bond with them is something that will contribute to their emotional well-being and your relationship. Every parent-child relationship is certainly unique, but we can all benefit from different strategies to enhance the connection between ourselves and our kids. Let’s show you some approaches to try.
Shared Hobbies and Interests
Cultivating a shared love of something is going to provide opportunities for bonding. It’s something that is so simple, yet so effective, but the problem lies in the fact that sometimes we don’t necessarily get on board with whatever kids are doing, or they have a very particular vision about what they want to achieve, and this is particularly true when it comes to crafts or design or any type of drawing.
Therefore, sometimes choosing something with a set of rules that you both need to follow can make a massive difference. Board games are an excellent example because you have to follow the rules, and that is that. Whether it’s playing Monopoly (and getting into the nitty-gritty of the harsh rules that come with it) or learning a game like chess, you have opportunities to bond together. Sometimes we don’t have the opportunities to spend proper time with our kids until those holidays come around, either in the summer or during the Christmas period. This is where a game like Christmas chess can create an opportunity to bond and compete at the same time.
Think About Quality Time, Not Quantity Time
We can all feel that we need to spend more time with our children when, in fact, we should engage in activities that allow for more meaningful experiences. We can easily think in terms of time because we only have X amount of days off during the year, but no matter how little time we spend with our kids, engaging with activities and opportunities that allow us to be present and attentive during these moments will result in far more lasting memories.
We don’t have to spend a huge amount of time with our children if we get a better understanding of what it means to be truly present with our children, and this instantly translates into quality time, rather than quantity time. Even if we don’t have much of a chance to spend time with our kids, if we can focus on five excellent minutes per day, this might be all we can physically achieve, depending on our circumstances, but if it’s good quality, then we can feel like we’ve done our best.
Open Communication
We should encourage our children to express their thoughts and feelings, and this means that when it comes to bonding with our kids, learning how to be a supportive listener will build trust and strengthen that parent-child connection. Every day we should encourage our kids to share not just what they’ve done that day, but their ambitions and their concerns. If our children are not feeling like they can speak to us for whatever reason, this could partly be due to the fact that we are giving off the vibes that they are not worth listening to.
It can be easily done because we end up having to think about so many different things, which is why it goes back to that notion of quality time, but also why we are spending our time with them, encouraging them to communicate can make a massive difference to that quality bond. If your child doesn’t open up, start spending time with them doing the hobbies that they like to do, and gradually you start to work towards something together. It may not happen overnight; however, if you can encourage your child to open up when they couldn’t before, this will make a significant difference.
There are certainly plenty of ways to encourage that bond. You can establish family traditions, even if it means playing online games together, if you can start to demonstrate your love through mutual hobbies and practices, this can make a massive difference in the quality of the relationship with your child. It takes time, effort, and genuine engagement, so whether you are exploring new hobbies together or you are focusing on spending quality time, the key is always to cherish these moments.
