You often hear the popular saying “They grow up too fast.” This is especially true when it comes to your children. One minute they’re cute little babies who depend everything on you then the next they’re all grown up and have a life of their own.
Quality time is valuable when it comes to your children. Spend as much time as you can with your kids so that they will grow up to be a well-rounded and confident adult. Below are 10 things that you should do with your kids while they are still young:
1. Go to the Library
We live in a world of technology where kids can learn everything from the internet. E-books and online books have become widely popular.
Take your kids back to the time where they would need to shuffle through shelves of books just to get the information that they need. Bring them to your local library. Nothing beats the experience of actually feeling the texture of books and smelling that old-woody scent.
2. Bake or Cook
Do you have a picky eater in the family?
Letting them cook with you could be the best way to change their appetite. Include them in the preparation process of the food. Let them wash and slice the ingredients. When they know how hard and time-consuming it is to prepare the food served in the table, they would learn to appreciate and love it. Plus, cooking or baking is a fun bonding activity with your little ones.
3. Draw or Color
Most of the children love drawing or coloring. Give them a piece of paper and some pen and crayons and they’d happily scribble for hours. Most parents use this technique to keep their kids occupied while they’re busy doing chores or errands.
The next time you see your kid color or draw, put down whatever you’re doing and join them. Your kid won’t probably remember how terrible your drawing of a princess was, however he would surely treasure the time that you spent drawing it together.
4. Play Music
Music is a language of our soul. Teach your kids to love music at a young age. Listen to different genre of music and if you know how to play musical instruments, teach them how to play.
You don’t need to have Adele’s voice just to bond with your kids over music. Have fun belting out the lyrics even though you’re deaf tone. Have a blast playing instruments even if you don’t own one. Pale and ladle are always a good substitute for drums and sticks.
5. Go Swimming
Taking your kids swimming provides many benefits. First, it’s a good bonding opportunity for you. Second, it makes their body and mind stronger. It also teaches them a very important skill that could save their lives.
You can even organize a small swimming contest among your kids or their friends. Whoever finishes a certain number of lapses will get a prize.
6. Take Pajama Walks
One effective way of avoiding chaotic bedtime is by taking your kids on a pajama walk before their bedtime.
The key to pajama walks is the pajamas. Get your kids to brush their teeth, wash their faces and put on their pajamas. Then take a lap or two along your neighborhood while enjoying fun conversations. By the time you arrive back home, your children will be so ready for bed.
7. Create a Special Dinner Night
No matter how busy our day was, make it a point to have dinner together with the family. To create more fun and excitement, you can set a particular day to have meal theme – be it pizza night, taco night, egg night, Chinese night or pancake night. Engage the kids more by letting them choose the theme. They’d look forward to this dinner and would have all the energy to engage in stories and conversations.
8. Go on a Trip
Vacation trips are perfect opportunity to unwind from the mundane of everyday life and build lasting memories with the family. You don’t have to empty your savings account or starve yourselves for several months just to afford going on a trip. There are several vacation resort that includes everything to give you the best value for your money. Plus, these resorts are family friendly so you’re kids will have plenty to do.
9. Fix Things Together
Involving your kids with repair and home improvements are hitting two birds with one stone. It’s a great way to spend time with them plus you equip them with skills that could come handy later in their life. You can teach them first how things are done until they are capable of doing it themselves.
10. Play their Games
Let’s face it; kids nowadays are crazy over video games. Whilst it is necessary to impose household rules when it comes to playing video games, take a break from this rule from time to time and play with them instead. Your kids would appreciate the effort that you’re making to get to know them and the things that they like.
Take Advantage of their Younger Years
Our days are always hectic. No matter how busy we are, let’s make time for our children. Make them feel important and loved because they are only children once. You want to spend as much time with your children before they grow up.
Most of the time, kids will want to spend more time with friends as they get older. This doesn’t mean your child no longer loves you – they just want to do things on their own. Don’t take this time for granted – they’re only young once!