Spending time with your child is a deliberate effort – it needs to be prioritised and scheduled. Make it a point to spend quality time with your child every day and try not to disappoint him by postponing. Create opportunities and find activities you can do together in order to cultivate a strong relationship. No matter what you do, enjoy your time together and remember to always give your child your undivided attention!
Play time
Playing with your child enables you to enter his world. Put aside all inhibitions and get ready to have fun and be as silly as you (and your child) want to be! By being interested and involved, you foster closeness and you earn your child’s trust.
Get sporty
Sports activities, such as badminton or football, or simply playing catch in the garden, help to reinforce bonds between parent and child.
The joy of reading
Children love it when adults read to them. Why not schedule a few minutes of story time before bedtime every night? Take this opportunity to communicate with your child, and use examples in the stories to instil values and principles. Furthermore, reading together will help your child develop a lifelong interest in books.
Just talk
Ask your child about his day at preschool. This simple (and very obvious) tip is often overlooked when parents become too preoccupied with work. Encourage him to talk about his day: What did he learn? What good things happened? What did his teacher or friends do that day? In return, share with your child how your day has been – for instance, what you did, the people you met, something interesting you have seen. Two-way communication will help build an open and honest relationship with your child.
Something in common
Is there a hobby that you can both do together? This does not need to be expensive. A hobby can be building model airplanes, fitting together a jigsaw puzzle or just playing board games like Monopoly or Scrabble. It does not matter what it is; what matters is that it is something special that only the two of you share.
The great outdoors
Do not overlook the wonders that nature has to offer! Get outdoors every once in a while – the change of scenery will be very exciting for your child. Go camping or have a picnic somewhere. Have some fun roughing it out together. You may discover some things about each other that you never knew!
The importance of play
Studies indicate that play is an important part of child development. It allows children to learn about themselves, their environment and everyone around them. Parents can encourage learning by playing with their children. Some of the attributes acquired through play include self-control, empathy, cooperation, problem-solving and creativity. Apart from that, parent-child play also helps to foster bonding, closeness, connection and confidence of a child in the parent. Playing is also a way to mend fences after a conflict.
Start the day together
Having breakfast together is a good opportunity to interact and bond with your child. It is a wonderful way for you to get involved in your child’s preschool day. Get him excited about the events of the day, what he will be learning and doing at preschool and the new friends he may meet.
Give helpful advice and words of encouragement and then, send him off with plenty of hugs and kisses!
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