Figuring out how to spend quality time with your kids after school can be challenging, especially when you throw extracurricular activities into the mix. Luckily you don’t have to do Pinterest-worthy crafts or plan anything extravagant to spend quality time together. You just need to carve out some uninterrupted time to connect and remind your child how much they matter to you.
Here are 5 tips for having quality time with your child.
Play high, low, buffalo
At the dinner time (or the end of the day) go around the table and give everyone a chance to share their high of the day, their low of the day, and their buffalo (essentially anything from the day they thought was interesting or random that they want to share.)
Plan daily connection time
Grab a calendar and plan/write down 1 thing for each day that you and your child can do together. Having the activity written down makes it a lot easier to hold everyone accountable for following through. Some ideas may include:
- Get smoothies together
- Play a card game
- Use a YouTube video tutorial to do a paint and sip
- Paint each other’s nails
- Hit up a park
- Cuddle on the couch with cookies and milk
Don’t multitask
When you get one on one time with your child, give them your undivided attention. Shut down your computer and put your phone in another room so you aren’t distracted. Twenty minutes of undivided attention means more to your child than hours of distracted time with you do.
Create a weekly family night
Plan a weekly family night that everyone can look forward to. Whether you order pizza and watch a movie, plan a fancy dinner in the backyard, or organize a game night, having a set day to connect can do wonders for your bond with your children.
Sign up for classes together
Check out your local library or community center to sign up for classes that you can take with your child – art classes, music classes, photography, or 3D printing classes are super fun and pretty easy to find.
Spending quality time with your child is the most important thing a parent can do. We would love to know – what are some other ways you like to spend quality time with your child?
