Spending Time With Kids – Benefits and Ideas

In today’s fast-paced world, it is hard to find time for yourself. The only time you get is on weekends, which goes in running errands. However, if you are a parent, you should spend some quality time with your kids because you will not realise it, but your little munchkin will grow up and embark upon his journey of life very soon. Before it is too late, make sure you prioritize your day-to-day chores or other assignments and sneak out a few valuable moments to be with your kid. If you are wondering how to find time for your kid, we have some interesting tips that will help you in making time for your kids. We will also discuss the various benefits of doing so.

Why Is It Important to Spend Quality Time with Your Child?

When you spend time with your child, you are not only making memories for life, but you are also helping your child shape up his future in more than one ways. Let us see what are some of the benefits of spending time with your child are:

1. To Know Your Child Better

You may think that you know your kid well but that is only partially true. Spend some more time with your child and see how much there is to know. When you make time for your kid, he will feel happy and may also share tiny details of his school life with you. He will feel that he has someone whom he can trust and confide in and may even come out with his day-to-day concerns and problems.

2. To Let Him Know That You Care

When you take out time from your tight schedule to do and enjoy trivial things with your child, your child notices it. This may give him the idea that he may be more important to you than any other thing in the world. These positive feelings may help your child feel more secured and a confident human being.

3. To Build Your Kid’s Self-Esteem

Not all kids are outspoken or confident about themselves. Their relationship with their parents and siblings may help in building their personality. When your share quality time with your child, you will come to know of things that may be troubling your child. Thus, you may help him overcome his fears and build a better personality and self-esteem.

4. To Deal with Attention Seeking Behaviour

Sometimes when parents don’t spend much time with their kid, it may make a child to do things that seek attention and love from parents. Such situations may affect the behaviour of the child in the future. However, if you spend time with your child, it will help your kid feel loved and wanted and he will not exhibit needy or clingy behaviour.

5. To Strengthen the Bond

To build a better relationship with your little munchkin, you should spend more and more time with your kid. While spending time with your child, both of you will come across different things about each other that may bond you. Spending time and knowing important details of each other’s life will build a stronger bond between the two of you.

How Much Time Should You Spend with Your Child?

If you are wondering how much time you should spend with your child on a daily basis, then remember that it is a personal choice. The important thing to consider is that you lay emphasis on quality time rather than quantity. If you are spending an hour with your child but you are not fully involved with him, then it may not be good for either of you. On the other hand, a well spent 15 minutes with your child on a regular basis may do wonders. You may spend as much time as you want with your munchkin, however, make sure to make it worthwhile.

Best Ideas to Spend Quality Time with Your Kids

Here are some fun ways to spend time with kids on a daily basis:

1. Have a Healthy Morning Routine

You may sneak out 10 to 15 minutes during the morning hours to spend some time with your cutie. What better way to kick-start your day than to do some healthy activity like yoga, cycling, or some stretching exercises with your kiddo? Make sure you plan in advance for any such activity because well-planned morning activities work best.

2. Play Time

One of the best ways of spending time with your kid is by playing a game together. Most kids love to play games and thus when you play any game with your kiddo, you are spending time with him doing their favourite activity. Well, that may make you earn some brownie points for sure.

3. Doing Household Chores Together

Believe us when we say that doing household chores may count as a great way of spending some time together with your child. This may not only help you bond better, but it may also make your kid feel more responsible and proud. You may wash the car, clean the house, do laundry or do household chores together.

4. Cook With Your Kid

What better way of bonding with your kiddo than to indulge in something as exciting as cooking. You may ask your kid to wash vegetables for you or fetch you the ingredients from the pantry and various other such tasks. These may not only make your child more aware of the things that he eats on an everyday basis, but it is a great way of sharing time together.

5. Put Away Your Gadgets

Technology is taking a toll on our lives and our relationships too. By restricting their usage, you can steal some time for your child. You can spend the time thus saved in doing some interesting things with your child such as going for walks, going to the park, or going to the nearest grocery store to fetch the groceries.

6. Set a Bedtime Routine

Bedtimes are a great way of snuggling with your kiddo and sharing some cosy moments together. Before making your child sleep, share a story from your childhood with him or simply read a book, it is a great way to enjoy kid and parent time. Sometimes you may just laze around and share some funny jokes or do whatever silly things that make your child giggle.

7. Go On a Date

Does it sound a little out of context? Well, it is not. Kids love to feel special, and dates may not only be for the love of your life. You may think of something fun and interesting thing that your child likes to do, for example, going for a movie, going to an amusement park, or any other such activities. You may surprise your kid or make plans together, too.

8. Some Crafty Fun

If you are good at some craft, it may be a great idea to impart that skill to your child, and it may be a great way of spending time with your child. On the other hand, if you are a novice, you may watch some videos and get creative. Whatever you plan to choose, remember it is important that you are doing it with your kid.

9. Gardening

Yes, spending some time doing things for Mother Nature is a great way of bonding, too. Do you have space in your backyard or on the front lawn? You can plant a fruit tree or other tree. If space may be a constraint, then you can go for potted plants. Apart from spending some good time gardening, you may also get your kid close to nature and make him aware of the environment.

10. Helping Your Child with Homework

Yes, sometimes doing something as trivial as helping your kid finish his homework may do wonders in bonding you with your child. Chalk out a schedule and stick to it.

How to Make Sure Whether You Are Spending Enough Time with Your Child

You may often struggle to find time out of your schedule, and thus you may not know whether whatever time that you may be spending with your kid is sufficient or you need to work on it. Well, it is important to understand here is that if you plan well, you may achieve whatever you are looking for. For example, if you decide to spend time with your kid before bedtime or help him do his homework, make sure to follow it. Stick to the time and schedule and you will always have time for your child.

Parenting should not be a task, it should be something that you enjoy doing. Hopefully, our tips and suggestions will help you in understanding the importance and value of spending time with your kid. Spend time with him and enjoy.

Also Read: How to Raise a Happy Child