Spending Time with Children

The best gift for a parent to give themselves is the gift of time with your children. At a time when children have school, after school programs, and sports, and parents are working more than forty hours a week, time between parent and child is at a premium. This gift, however, takes a great deal of effort to maintain and while it is difficult to find extra time in a busy schedule, it is a gift that is better than any material gift they may receive from their child.

The gift of spending time with your children is so important because parents have such little time with their children. As children grow up, schedules become busier and it becomes much more difficult to do normal family functions like eating meals together or going to community events as a family. What is more important, it is vital to see your children at different stages of their lives in order to see how they are developing and learn their approach to life. This gift of time with your children can be refreshing in a time of difficulty at work or in marriage.

Giving yourself the gift of spending time with your children is not only a gift for a family in the present but for your children down the road. As children grow into adults, they remember the time spent with their parents and the lessons learned during this time. These young adults have children and pass on these lessons, receiving the gift of time with their own children. In this sense, parents must see the gift of spending time with their children as a perpetual gift that passes down for the enjoyment of generations to come.

More time spent between children and parent is not only beneficial to the child but to the parent as well. Adults are often consumed with work issues and concerns over the future but they can find some solace in the light-hearted and whimsical approach that their children take toward life. Children, especially adolescents, can challenge their parents' long held religious, political, and personal beliefs. This can be a blessing to parents who have had beliefs reinforced or ignored for years without any serious challenge. As well, parents can see problems and joys of life through their child's eyes. The gift of spending time with your children can make a parent a stronger role model, a better parent, and a happier person.

When a child is able to spend more time with their parents, they are happier and more productive. When children know they have a strong support system and can rely on their parents as a source of both discipline and fun, they are able to put their minds to use on school work. As well, both parent and child can learn from one another when they put their minds together. Parents can impart their learning and application skills while children bring a fresh perspective to old topics like history and English.

Parents can use extra time from their schedules to supplement their child's school learning. Many web sites and books offer do-it-yourself lessons in science, art, and mathematics, to name a few. Children enjoy doing hands-on activities and parents can combine this interest with topics like Impressionism in art, having the children try and paint small dots and blurs to create a larger image. Parents can use "flash" cards with colorful lettering or images to teach their children about arithmetic. As well, children might enjoy topics like physics or chemistry more when you explain Newton's principles and polymers using language they can understand and examples using toys and field trips. All of these tips are just a small example of how parents can turn spending time with their children into an integrative process, combining learning with fun.

However, spending time with your children does not always need to be about being productive or learning school lessons. Rather, some of the best time spent between parent and child is leisure time. Aside from knowing that their parents can have fun, leisure time for children can give them more flexibility in using their imagination. In other words, a relaxed mind is a fertile mind and children benefit from leisure time with their parents. Additionally, parents benefit by doing things like riding roller coasters or going fishing that they may not normally due without their kids.

Parents can spend time with their kids by showing them a hobby that they may have learned as children. Hobbies that are good for both parents and kids include fishing, card collecting, and cycling. These hobbies are great ways for parents and kids to spend time together because they require patience while not requiring a ton of time. Most important, hobbies allow children and their parents the opportunity to have fun while learning or honing a craft.

Sports and sporting events are also a great way for parents to spend time with their children. One of the most enduring memories for many children is throwing a baseball or football around with their parents. Whether it is a friendly family game of touch football or an organized event, sports can be a great way for parents to see their children grow and mature. As well, sporting events are a great way for parents to both enjoy something they are interested in while spending time with their kids.

Finally, parents and children need to embrace the gift of time by simply talking to each other. Taking time out of each day to talk about school, work, and life in general is the best part of the gift of spending time with each other. No one is better equipped than a parent to calm a young child down after a difficult day and parents can use these conversations to reinforce lessons and to just relax and unwind with their child.