In this day and age spending quality time with our children is getting more difficult. As a working mother, sometimes I really struggle to balance home life and work. I am not the kind of parent who believes that putting your kids in front of the television or electronic devices is a good thing. I am not judging those parents that do that but for me I want to be Present for my kids.
After a lot of thought on this issue I have come up with some great ways to be a more involved parent. One of the biggest things I struggle with is finding time and creating fun experiences for my kids. I stick to a pretty strict schedule with my kids during the week and on the weekends I like to try and do something fun with the kids. A lot of different factors can effect this though, like; time and money. In order to accomplish this, try and schedule fun activities instead of doing it spur of the moment. This way you are prepared and your kids have something to look forward to during the week.
My kids are at that stage where they want to be around me constantly. They are always asking me questions and always want to do what mommy and daddy are doing. Sometimes this can be frustrating, but I have found that the more I let my kids help and make them feel involved the easier it is for me. I let my kids help me cook, clean and do the grocery shopping. They feel involved and in turn it is teaching them responsibilities. Give them small tasks to do it keeps them busy while you are trying to get things done.
With all of the technology we have our society has a hard time being present. Everyone is always on their phone or tablets. We forget the importance of communication and this shows in the younger generations. My goal as a parent is to not allow this to happen in my home. I make it a point to sit down with my kids and have conversations with them. They are only 5 and 3 years old but I have some very good talks with my kids.
It has been such a blessing to get to know them as individuals. I want to know my kids and want my kids to know me. I had such a good relationship with my parents growing up because I had conversations with them. Even if it is for 15 minutes a day it is going to have a positive impact. Listen with your eyes and let them speak without judging them.
The last thing I think is crucial to being a present parent is to have fun with your children. It is so easy to get caught up in the everyday routines. I know for me I forgot to have fun for a long time because of work and school. I want my kids to view me as not just someone who takes care of them but someone they can have fun with as well. I was so lucky to have the parents that I did. We were constantly playing games, going camping and laughing and joking constantly. I want my kids to look back on their childhood and remember how much fun we had.
Remember it is the little things that make a difference. Eat dinner at the table and don’t allow phones or the television to be on. Take a little time out of you day to focus on your children. The more you do it the easier it becomes.
