Parenting in the Fast Lane

Today my nearly-seven-year-old son showed me his first loose tooth. For one short second tears came unwillingly to my eyes as I recalled the time a spoon clinked against his first tooth when he was a baby. That was just yesterday, wasn’t it? Where did all of these years go? How did my baby become a sports enthusiast, an excellent reader in two languages, and keep trying to solve the math problems at the end of the arithmetic book?

Despite the sleepless nights and endless weekends, their childhood flies by with incomprehensible speed. The demands of modern life often dictate a two-income family just to make ends meet. Although appliances like the microwave and dishwasher are designed to save us time, we are constantly running ahead just to stay in place!

How do find quality time when there is a relatively small quantity of time we can spend with our children? Where can we take a break from the vast lane, and reconnect with those that mean the most to us?

Do you know how children spell the word ‘love‘? T-I-M-E.

If you are extremely busy, it is essential that you choose regular, specific time slots to spend an uninterrupted five to fifteen minutes with each child.

* If your child is an early riser, a few minutes together in the morning, prior to starting the getting-breakfast-and-dressed routine will have an enormous effect on the tone of his day.

* Immediately when she returns home from school is a great time to reconnect and express your love for your daughter.

* If you have different bedtimes for children of various ages, spending time with the child who stays up later right after the younger one has been put to bed will make him feel special and the bonding more focused.

* When putting multiple children to bed at the same bedtime, choose a different kid each night that can tiptoe out of bed and share a glass of water with you for a few minutes.

These are times that children are very receptive to their parents’ emotions. Expressing your love and pride in your child will definitely make him more cooperative and loving.

No matter what time works best for your family, you will yield tremendous dividends by investing in quality time on a consistent basis.

Which times work best for you?

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