How to Spend Quality Time with Your Kids
You’ve probably heard the quote, “The days are long, but the years are short.” As a mom, you probably know the feeling of a day that never seems to end, rushing to get kids to school, working all day, getting homework done, fussy and tired kids in the evening. But before we know it, our kids are growing up and growing up fast. The 18 years or so we have with them as “kids” is gone before we know it. Because time really is short, here are 5 ideas on how to spend quality time with your kids.
Remember, quality time doesn’t have to cost extra money. It’s more about you taking time out of your day and focusing on your child. It’s about seeing the ways you can create intentional family time and memories.
5 Ways to Spend Quality Time with Your Kids
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1. Put Down Your Devices
With the popularity of cell phones and tablets, it’s easy to walk around with your phone in your hand and miss what’s going on around you. Make it a habit that when you come home to put your cell phone down. I put my cell phone in my room. I check it a few times in the evening, but I don’t carry it with me and I don’t stay focused on it.
Quality time with your kids means you put down your devices (and they will put down their devices too). You want to spend time with each other – talking, laughing, telling stories and making special memories. You can’t do any of those things connected to a phone or tablet.
So, for just a few hours when you are focused on time with your kids, put your phone down.
2. Include Your Kids in Everyday Activities
One of the easiest ways to spend time with your kids is to get them involved in everyday activities. For example, my kids love to help make dinner and bake cookies and it teaches them a life skill, too.
Ask your kids to help you prepare dinner tonight. Let them pick one item you will cook together. You could also let them be in charge of serving dinner. My daughters (ages 8 and 11) love to serve us dinner.
If you are really creative, you can make house cleaning fun and get your kids involved, but I find this will seem mostly like work to them (it’s not like making dinner, they seem to like making dinner). Your kids should still help with home chores, but it probably won’t count as family fun time.
Another idea is to have fun washing your car. My kids love to wash the car (it’s like getting permission to play in the water).
As you go through your day, look for fun ways to include your kids.
3. Take Time for a Special Date Night
A few weeks ago, I took my son out to dinner. It was just me and him and it was very nice. We sat and talked. We don’t get time to talk just me and him very often. A special date night is a wonderful way to spend time with your kids.
If you are able, taking each child on their own date is nice, but sometimes you can do “mom and girls night” and “mom and boys” night too.
Here are more date night ideas – Mom and daughter date ideas and Mom and son date ideas.
4. Have a Family Game Night
Family game night is a classic way to spend quality time together. During the summer when we don’t have homework, I frequently try to play a game of UNO or Racko with the kids.
Kids love to play games and have family game night. My sisters still talk about games we used to play growing up.
5. Talk Every Day
Finally, just take time to talk every day. At dinner every evening, you can talk about what happened during the day, ask about friends and the “happenings” at school. Try to have thought questions and probing questions, too.
At dinner every night, have a question of the day. Make up a fun question and go around the table and everyone has to answer the question. Here are a few ideas:
- If there was no electricity, what would you miss the most?
- If you were stranded on a deserted island, what is the one thing you would want to have with you?
- What is your favorite color? Why?
- What do you want to be when you grow-up?
- Who is your favorite Bible character? Why?
Mom’s Memory Journal
Making memories is awesome, the Mom’s Memory Journal will help you save your special memories for many years. You will be able to read all the special moments recorded in your journal year after year. You’ll never forget a funny saying, a first word or first step because it’s all saved in your Mom’s Memory Journal.
A memory journal will help you write down all special moments in the life of your children. Every day you can write a few sentences or a complete page (whatever feels right to you) about your day.
Here’s what’s you get the Mom’s Memory Journal:
- Lined pages to write your memories, stories, and quotes from your kids (I love to write down the funny things my kids say sometimes)
- Freeform pages to draw, doodle, hand-letter or add your favorite pictures
- Print only the pages you need
- When you complete the journal, reprint and add more pages
Grab your copy of Mom’s Memory Journal today and start recording your precious memories. You will read and reread your journal for many years.