Quality Time With Your Children

If you have children, then I am sure that you wonder if you are doing enough for them.  Are you spending enough quality time with them doing healthy activities or is it more of the quantity time spent in front of the television?  Television is a major part of family activities these days, but we all need to move away from the television to more healthy activities with our children.  I am not saying that we need to throw the television out the door, but we need to monitor what our children watch and how much time we all spend in front of it.

Have you ever counted how much time the television is on in your house?  Even if you are a stay at home mom, how much time is the television on while you are working in the house?  You may not be physically sitting in front of it with all of your attention focused on it, but it is on and your are half listening or half watching it while you are on the computer, sweeping, folding clothes, etc.  If you added up the amount of time that the television is on per day and compared it to the number of hours that you are awake, I am sure that you will be completely surprised to learn that the television is on 80 or 90 percent of the time that you are awake and at home.

When is the last time you turned off the television and played a game with your children or went outside with them?  I know you are busy, but before we know it, our children will be grown and we will be wondering where the time went.  Housework will always be around, but our children will grow up and start their own families.  I am not condoning letting your dishes pile up to the ceiling, but does laundry have to be done when there is just a few pieces of dirty clothes in the hamper?

Television can be used for quality time with your children also as long as it is not the only activity that you do with your children.  Mix up the activities – games, outside play, crafts, and television - to create more interest and memories with your children.  Children enjoy doing things with their parents and even doing something as simple as letting them help you cook creates quality time with them and strengthens your bond.  Use your imagination to come up with opportunities for spending quality time with your children.  You may be surprised by how easy it is to work it in to your day and your routine.

Children thrive on attention.  If they do not get the right kind of attention from you, then they will try to get any kind of attention, whether good or bad.  If you have several children, make time for some one-on-one time at least once a week.  This does not have to be a long and drawn out process.  It can just be taking one child with you to the grocery store or to grab take-out.  Use the time in the car to ask them about what is going on with them and in their lives.

Adding those special quality moments with your child does not have to be and should not be a chore.  Your children will appreciate and flourish from any time that you put everything else aside and concentrate your attention solely on them.  So put aside your dirty laundry and dishes, and read to your child.  You’ll be glad you did!

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