We understand that life is busy and that as parents, your responsibilities are increasing. We surely know that there are other priorities that you need to cater to, but don’t let these daily chores overtake your quality family time. You may have little time to rest and you may have a lot to take care of, but when your day is centered around your child, you will enjoy that time, appreciate its outcome and also pay close attention to children. You will learn what they like and will help you show your children that you love and care for them. The Norwood School strongly believes in the importance of spending time with children, so let’s take a look at how you can spend time with them:

1. Show affection:
It is important to tell your child that you love them every day and let them know that you love and appreciate them and that you care about them.

2. Schedule a specific time for your child:
Before and after school, during breaks, and before bedtime, connect with your child every day and set aside time to work with your child

3. Keep all distractions away:
Especially your smartphones. You may get lured to watch those funny videos or play a game during your free time. However, when spending time with your child, stay away from technology and turn on your smartphone to avoid chores and clerical work at this point. During this time, avoid sending and receiving messages and calls, and avoid music from TV commercials unless it is part of an activity.

4. Ask your child to decide:
what they want to play with. When riding a bike, playing with toys, baking cakes, or making crafts ask your kids to choose what they are happy with and participate in their activity.

5. Laugh together:
Laughter improves your physical and mental health, so make lots of jokes and laugh with your children.

6.Parents as friends:
As the dynamics of relationships become more difficult, you need to understand from their point of view what they are experiencing. At this point, no matter how difficult it may seem, you must treat your child like a friend to gain their trust. The best way to connect with them is to know when to intervene as a parent and when to make friends. This helps your children respect you and be honest with you, which in turn facilitates the joining process.

Benefits of spending time with your child:
• It helps build your child’s self-esteem and promotes a loving environment
• Spending time with children supports positive behavior and improved academic performance.
• It reduces stress and supports the development of communication skills
• It further strengthens family ties

Conclusion

In today’s fast-paced family life, we need to care and reassure our children that we are always there for them. Spending our time with our little ones is one of the best gifts we can give our children. The Norwood School strongly believes in friendly parenting and thus we encourage parents to create and build many opportunities to be with them, no matter how busy they are. Don’t forget to hug your child and tell them that you love them. In the long run, you’ll be amazed at the differences these gestures have made in your relationship with your child.