Thursday, January 17, 2013

Easy ways for you and your child to spend more time together


When you spend time with your child, he knows that both he and his suc­cess in school and in life are among the most important things to you. As much as your child might beg for a new toy or the latest blinking game with sound effects, what he wants most is to spend time together. Here are some ideas for spending time with him:

·         Turn ordinary tasks into together time. Thirty minutes of playing on the floor with your child is wonderful. Taking him along on your Saturday afternoon errands and talking with him for the whole time is just as effective.

·         Eat meals together as often as possible. Research shows that more family bonding happens around the kitchen table than anywhere else. Ask your child what he did in school that day.

·         Exercise together. Move with your child daily. Use this time to talk about your child’s favorite books.

·         Engage in your child’s interests. If he likes soccer or T-ball, kick or toss the ball around together outside. If he likes dinosaurs, check out a dinosaur book from the library and read it together. Occasionally, snuggle up together to watch a movie or an educational TV show.  Make connec­tions to what your child is learning.

      Source: T.R. Lee, “How to Spend Quality Time with Your Child,” College of Education and Human Services, Utah State University
 
Check out more Parenting Tips and Information in
the Helping Children Learn Newsletter at: