Creating Quality Time with Your Children
Driving home from church, I asked my son, “What did you talk about in Sunday School today?” His reply… “Jesus.” And while I am certain Jesus was mentioned during his time at church, I also know there was more to the discussion that that. My choices were: 1. Take this as the quick and simple answer 2. Spend some quality time creating deeper conversation Quality time with our kids can be tough sometimes. With work, children’s activities, adult activities, church activities, (and the list goes on), we have to be mindful of making time for our kids each day. That might look different for different families, but it is vitally important for the health of your family unit. How do we make sure some real quality goes into our daily lives with our children? Here are a few simple tips that might hel you: 1. Leisure time together… maybe it’s playing a board game, or watching your favorite movie together, playing outside, or strolling through the mall. Whatever it is that you and your children enjoy doing together, make a little time each day to engage in some leisure time with your kids. This gives you the opportunity to unwind and share in a relaxed atmosphere together, which helps increase the sense of connection. 2. One-on-one time… if you have more than one child, you know how hard this can be. Making time specifically for each child can be difficult with the busyness of our days. And while spending time playing and interacting with your children is a wonderful time of connection, the connection that comes from those moments of one-on-one sharing are incredibly sweet and precious. Maybe its a short conversation after school, a talk in the car, or a short walk with one of your kids after dinner. Perhaps it’s the sweet moments just before bedtime, or time spent cleaning the kitchen together. Whatever it looks like in your home, make sure EACH of your children get that unique and special time with you. 3. Open up a book… Reading together is a terrific quality activity. Read a story from the Bible or their favorite children’s book. Have them read aloud to you while you make dinner or drive in the car. Ask questions and discuss what you are reading. Make your children think and ponder what they are reading, and have meaningful discussions about the stories. 4. Traditions and routines… kids love routines and they love traditions. Those sweet holiday traditions that you replay year after year will make beautiful memories as your children grow into adulthood. Your daily routines will have a lasting impact on them, as well. Traditional family vacations, birthday celebrations, and holiday activities create a sense of connection and are vitally important in creating memories and beautiful reflections for the future. 5. Love the Lord together… perhaps the greatest gift we can give our children is the experience of loving the Lord and living for him. Our own lives must be a reflection of this as we model this through our own words and actions. It is our responsibility to teach our children about Jesus, and how to live a righteous life. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) Parenting is seldom easy, but it is one of the most rewarding things we can ever do. When the time spent with our children is quality time, those relationships are strengthened, and the bond we have with our children is cemented. We should seek God always for his guidance and direction as we strive to be parents that glorify him in our actions, and that create a loving and nurturing environment in which to lead our children to the cross.
