In your hectic, day-to-day schedule, you may feel like you’re not connecting with your kids as much as you would like. However, something as simple as reading together every night, or even just a family meal could make a significant impact on your relationship. We’ve rounded up 10 little traditions you could implement with your kids to add a special element to the bond you already share.
1. Bedtime Stories
Incorporating bedtime stories into your nightly routines with your children has been proven beneficial in a myriad of ways. It creates built-in one-on-one time between you and your child. During this time, you can also learn more about the way your child views the world. Denver child psychologist Michelle Anthony, Ph.D., says, “Because you enter her world through the safe avenue of a third party–a character–you’ll have more insight than you ever would by asking ‘So, how’s life?’”
Reading to your kids from a young age improves and builds many of their neural functions. Language mastery, improved logic skills, and even lower stress levels all relate back to a child being read to by a parent or caregiver, according to child development specialist, Dr. G. Reid Lyon.
2. Craft Time
Creating art and other crafts with your children is an excellent bonding activity, as well as another way to contribute to their development at home. Spatial and visual processing skills are often present in crafting exercises. Pattern recognition, sequence detection, and spatial rotation, skills which are all present in math and reading, can be built while crafting.
Parents’ schedules are often overwhelming, and Parenting.com suggests finding quick, 30-minute craft projects to add to your day. Creating something together on a regular basis can serve as quality bonding time, as well as a fond memory to look back on as your kids grow older.
3. Movie Nights
Watching a movie as a family is not only a relaxing way to unwind after a long day, but it can also be a way to introduce topics for discussion. Controversial issues and other difficult topics can be hard to bring up on their own, but movies tackle them all the time. Use the plot or scene from a movie to initiate the conversation.
These talks can help you to better understand where your children stand on an issue, or how much they really understand a topic. It gives you a chance to explore a teachable moment as well, where you can connect with your children on a deeper level.
4. Family Meals
Meal time can be an easy built-in family bonding part of every day. Chances are, you eat meals regularly, making this the most reliable time to add family bonding to your schedule. On top of the nutritional and intellectual benefits of eating a meal with your children, they are ideal experiences for conversation and sharing thoughts between parent and child.
According to a study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, kids who eat a meal with their parents experience less stress and have a better relationship with them. Ideally, you can use these moments to build on the relationship away from the table as well.
For an activity outside the home, consider choosing an organization or cause both you and your child care about, and become regular volunteers. This could be walking dogs at the shelter once a week, serving meals at the soup kitchen, or reading to residents in nursing homes. Whatever you choose, this is an activity in which you and your kids can bond over the shared experience of helping others.
6. Explore Educational Experiences
Does your city or a nearby city offer museums, art galleries, or any other educational experiences? If so, consider adding an outing to one or all of these places each month. You can expose your kids to other cultures and open up opportunities for discussion and expression you might not find elsewhere. Encourage your children to ask questions, and if you can’t provide the answer yourself, embark on a mission to find it together.
7. Start A New Hobby
A fun after-school or Sunday afternoon bonding activity could involve starting a new hobby with your kids. Learn to create macrame, take up golf, ride a bike, or bake a new recipe each week. If you have a regular hobby you already enjoy, you could see if your child is interested in learning and teach them the trade yourself. Working through these activities together can strengthen the relationship, and introduce a pastime you can enjoy together for the rest of your lives.
8. Take A Class Together
Similar to starting a hobby at home, you could pursue a class at a local rec center or library. Browse through all of your options, and settle on something that sounds interesting to both of you. This could be a dance class, an art class, learning a foreign language, or even picking up a new musical instrument. Again, like the other hobbies, this experience can be something you both enjoy for years to come.
9. Make Your Own Book Club
Reading together can go further than bedtime stories with your toddlers. Continue the tradition even as your children enter junior and high school. Structure it like a book club, and choose a selection of books to read and discuss throughout the year. You can read individually and meet at certain times to talk about what you read, or even read aloud together.
This activity is intellectually beneficial in many ways–it can help teach new vocabulary to your kids, or improve their critical thinking. But also, like choosing certain movies for movie night, certain books can help you explore difficult or controversial topics with your children.
10. No-Tech Nights
Aside from movie nights, all of our suggested activities are non, or very low-tech. With the prevalence of smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other devices in everyday life, it’s important to take some time to “unplug” with your kids–both for the kids and parents! Better discussions happen when eyes aren’t glued to screens, and you’ll find it easier to enjoy each other’s company without the interruption of texts, calls, emails, and notifications.
Katika ratiba yako ya kila siku yenye msukosuko, huenda ukahisi kwamba huwezi kuwasiliana na watoto wako kama unavyotaka. Hata hivyo, jambo rahisi kama vile kusoma pamoja kila usiku, au hata kula pamoja kama familia, linaweza kuwa na matokeo mazuri katika uhusiano wenu. Kwa hivyo, tumekusanya mapokeo 10 ambayo unaweza kutekeleza na watoto wako ili kuongeza kipengele maalum kwa dhamana ambayo tayari unashiriki. 1. Uwe na mtazamo wa kweli Kuingiza hadithi za kulala katika shughuli zako za usiku na watoto wako kumethibitika kuwa na manufaa kwa njia nyingi. Inaunda wakati wa moja kwa moja kati yako na mtoto wako. Wakati huo, unaweza kujifunza mengi kuhusu jinsi mtoto wako anavyoona ulimwengu. "Mwanasaikolojia wa watoto wa Denver, Michelle Anthony, anasema: ""Kwa sababu unaingia katika ulimwengu wake kupitia njia salama ya mtu wa tatu, utapata ufahamu zaidi kuliko unavyoweza kufanya kwa kuuliza ""Kwa hivyo, maisha nije?"" Kusoma kwa watoto wako kutoka umri mdogo huongeza na kujenga kazi zao nyingi za neva." Ujuzi wa lugha, ustadi wa kufikiri, na hata viwango vya chini vya mkazo, yote yanahusiana na mtoto kusomwa na mzazi au mtunzaji, kulingana na mtaalamu wa maendeleo ya mtoto, Dk. 2. Uwezekano wa kupata Kufanya kazi za mikono na ufundi pamoja na watoto wako ni njia nzuri ya kuimarisha uhusiano na pia ni njia nyingine ya kuchangia maendeleo yao nyumbani. Uwezo wa kuchanganua nafasi na kuona mara nyingi hupatikana katika mazoezi ya utengenezaji. Utambuzi wa muundo, kugundua mfululizo, na mzunguko wa nafasi, ujuzi ambao wote upo katika hisabati na kusoma, unaweza kujengwa wakati wa kutengeneza. Kwa sababu ya shughuli nyingi za wazazi, tovuti ya Parenting.com inashauri watu wafanye kazi za mikono kwa muda wa dakika 30 ili kupanua siku yao. Kuunda kitu pamoja kwa ukawaida kunaweza kutumika kama wakati wa kuunganisha ubora, na pia kumbukumbu nzuri ya kutazama nyuma wakati watoto wako wanakua. 3. Uwe na mtazamo wa kweli Kuangalia sinema pamoja na familia si njia ya kupumzika tu baada ya siku ndefu, lakini pia inaweza kuwa njia ya kuanzisha mada za majadiliano. Masuala yenye utata na mada nyingine ngumu zinaweza kuwa vigumu kuzungumzia peke yao, lakini sinema huzungumzia mambo hayo kila wakati. Tumia hadithi au mandhari kutoka kwenye filamu ili kuanzisha mazungumzo. Mazungumzo haya yanaweza kukusaidia kuelewa vizuri zaidi msimamo wa watoto wako juu ya suala fulani, au ni kiasi gani wanaelewa kweli mada fulani. Pia, unaweza kugundua wakati wa kujifunza, ambapo unaweza kuungana na watoto wako kwa kiwango cha kina. 4. Uwe na uhakika Chakula cha familia wakati wa chakula cha jioni ni sehemu ya kawaida ya familia ya kila siku. Kwa sababu ya kuwa wewe hula chakula mara kwa mara, hii ni wakati mzuri zaidi wa kuongeza uhusiano wa familia kwenye ratiba yako. Kwa kuongezea faida za lishe na akili za kula chakula pamoja na watoto wako, ni uzoefu mzuri wa mazungumzo na kushiriki mawazo kati ya mzazi na mtoto. Kulingana na utafiti uliofanywa na Kituo cha Kitaifa cha Uraibu na Matumizi Mabaya ya Dawa za Kulevya, watoto wanaokula chakula pamoja na wazazi wao wanapata mkazo mdogo na wana uhusiano mzuri zaidi nao. Kwa kweli, unaweza kutumia wakati huu kujenga uhusiano mbali na meza pia. Kwa ajili ya shughuli nje ya nyumba, fikiria kuchagua shirika au sababu wewe na mtoto wako wote unajali, na kuwa wajitoleaji wa kawaida. Unaweza kuwa na mbwa wa kutembea katika makao ya wageni mara moja kwa wiki, kutoa chakula katika vyakula vya watu wa hali ya juu, au kusoma kwa wakazi katika makao ya wazee. Chochote unachagua, hii ni shughuli ambayo wewe na watoto wako unaweza kuunganisha juu ya uzoefu wa pamoja wa kusaidia wengine. 6. Uwe na uhakika Kuchunguza Mambo ya Kujifunza Je, jiji lenu au jiji lililo karibu lina makumbusho, maonyesho ya sanaa, au mambo mengine ya kujifunza? Ikiwa ndivyo, fikiria kuongeza ziara moja au zote za mahali hapo kila mwezi. Unaweza kuwafunulia watoto wako utamaduni mwingine na kuwafungulia fursa za majadiliano na kujieleza ambazo huenda usingeweza kupata mahali pengine. Watie moyo watoto wako waulize maswali, na ikiwa huwezi kutoa jibu mwenyewe, anza kazi ya kuipata pamoja. 7. Uwe na mtazamo gani? Kuanzisha Hobby Mpya: Baada ya shule au Jumapili mchana, shughuli ya kuunganisha inaweza kuhusisha kuanza hobby mpya na watoto wako. Jifunze kutengeneza macrame, kucheza gofu, kuendesha baiskeli, au kupika chakula kipya kila juma. Ikiwa una hobby ya kawaida ambayo tayari unafurahia, unaweza kuona kama mtoto wako anapendezwa na kujifunza na kumfundisha biashara hiyo mwenyewe. Kufanya kazi pamoja katika shughuli hizi kunaweza kuimarisha uhusiano, na kuanzisha burudani ambayo mnaweza kufurahia pamoja kwa maisha yenu yote. 8. Uwe na mtazamo gani? Kuanza masomo pamoja - Kama vile kuanza kazi ya kupumzika nyumbani, unaweza kuanza masomo katika kituo cha burudani au maktaba ya karibu. Chunguza chaguzi zako zote, na uamue jambo linalokuvutia nyote wawili. Hii inaweza kuwa darasa la kucheza dansi, darasa la sanaa, kujifunza lugha ya kigeni, au hata kuchukua ala mpya ya muziki. Kama vile mapendezi mengine, uzoefu huu unaweza kuwa kitu ambacho nyote wawili mtafurahia kwa miaka mingi ijayo. 9. (a) Kwa nini? Kufanya Klabu Yako ya Kitabu Kusoma pamoja kunaweza kwenda mbali zaidi ya hadithi za kulala na watoto wako wachanga. Endelea na utamaduni huu hata kama watoto wako wanaingia shule ya msingi na ya sekondari. Fanya kama klabu ya kusoma na uchague vitabu vya kusoma na kuzungumzia mwaka mzima. Unaweza kusoma peke yako na kukutana wakati fulani ili kuzungumzia kile unachosoma, au hata kusoma kwa sauti pamoja. Shughuli hii ni ya manufaa kiakili kwa njia nyingi - inaweza kusaidia kufundisha msamiati mpya kwa watoto wako, au kuboresha kufikiri kwao muhimu. Lakini pia, kama kuchagua filamu fulani kwa ajili ya usiku wa sinema, vitabu fulani vinaweza kukusaidia kuchunguza mada ngumu au zenye utata pamoja na watoto wako. Kumi. No-Tech Nights Mbali na usiku wa sinema, shughuli zetu zote zilizopendekezwa ni zisizo, au za teknolojia ya chini sana. Pamoja na kuenea kwa simu mahiri, vidonge, kompyuta ndogo, na vifaa vingine katika maisha ya kila siku, ni muhimu kuchukua muda wa "kuondoa" na watoto wako - wote kwa watoto na wazazi! Mazungumzo bora hutokea wakati macho hayajafungwa kwenye skrini, na utapata ni rahisi kufurahia kampuni ya kila mmoja bila kukatizwa na maandishi, simu, barua pepe, na taarifa.