What are your most prominent childhood memories of your parents? Chances are, they’re occasions where they spent a little one on one time with you. It may or may not have been “quality” time. Still, that effort to relate to you on a personal level mattered. Why is spending time with your kids so important, whether it’s “quality” time or not?
Giving kids your undivided attention shows their value to you. Nothing makes a kid feel worse about themselves than a constantly distracted parent. Making time for your kids a priority sends them the message that they are the single most important people in your life. Your kids are important to you, aren’t they? Show it by enjoying your time with them before they are grown and gone.
Your example shines through when you spend time with your kids. Kids can’t follow your lead if they never see you. You can be the most awesome employee your company has ever seen. That’s not what makes you a great parent and a good example. Your kids need to spend time with you on a regular basis if you expect to set an example for them. They can’t emulate what they don’t see first hand.
Time spent with kids keeps them busy. The more time kids spend with your positive example, the less time they have to be distracted by temptation. It’s important for kids to lead separate lives. However, letting them run completely free, spending no time at all with their parents is not a good plan. If they don’t get attention from you, they will seek it elsewhere, wherever that might be.
The more time you spend with kids, the easier those life lessons slip in. If you don’t spend a lot of time playing with your kids, the lessons you have to teach them can come off as contrived. It’s so much easier to smoothly impart information when you interact with kids regularly. Anything you have to tell them can be shown to them more easily. You just have to wait for the right opportunity. You’ll have more of those opportunities the more time you spend with your kids.
The type of time you spend with kids isn’t as important as the amount. All positive time spent with kids is equally valuable. Whether you’re shooting hoops, playing board games or yes, even watching TV together, family time is good time. Even when kids see you in a negative light, you can use it to teach them what not to do. In other words, all time with kids is quality time. Don’t be stingy with it!
More from Jaipi:
Parenting Miss – How to Raise a Drama Queen
Parents: Are You Too Intrusive?
New age lessons kids learned back in the day
