The Little Playbook For Connecting With Your Child Starting Right Now

Mission: To connect with a rapidly growing small child before they reach those years where they start to need you less.

Written by Kevin Tyler Smith. You can follow me on Twitter or Facebook

I can hear my mother now as she referred to me when speaking to one of her peers, “yes these children sure grow up fast”.

I can’t tell you how many times I heard those words as a child.  They meant nothing to me then as everything was completely relative. Was I growing up fast?  By no means.  What was my mother talking about? I wasn’t growing fast enough. From my vantage point, everything in my life was moving at a snail’s pace.

Now that I am a parent I truly understand.  My oldest daughter Sloane is knocking on the door of her teenage years.  My other daughter Logan is right behind her.

Where did the time go?  It seems they were born just last year.

Fortunately a few years ago I became cognizant of the passing time and I started to desire a connection with my young children.

I realized I was not going to have them as children forever.

Parents can create the best relationships with children as long as they follow the right guidelines and keep in touch with their emotions and mind. You have to set the rules in the house and enforce these very well but being there when they need you the most is paramount.

You can start today and be the best mom or dad that your child can boast about. They will remember the times you spent together the rest of their lives. Here are a few activities I adopted that worked best for me:

Communication is Vital

1. Always talk to your kids. Make it a habit to check on your kids and ask them how their day went. Share meals together at least once a day. Eat breakfast or share dinner as a family so that you can talk and enjoy the food together. This will be embedded in your child’s memory for years to come.

2. Be a counselor. Always be available to talk when your child is in trouble at school or is having problems with some bullies. Be there to help your child cope with the daily stresses of growing up. Your child has to be guided very well throughout so that he develops into a mature and strong individual. The child will make better decisions in the future by having you as a counselor.

Have Fun Together

3. Play games. Share a sport with your child. This is an activity that you can regularly play together. You can harness the values of teamwork, camaraderie, competence and leadership. You can devise strategies together or make it a regular father-son event. Choose a sport that you both can enjoy like baseball, tennis, golf or basketball.

4. Take a walk. Try exploring new places together. Go to a new city, fly to another country or just take a stroll around the park on a Saturday morning. This will encourage communication with her and just help you both relax and unwind after a busy week. Take time to appreciate nature and the small things in life that money cannot buy.

Giving Responsibilities

5. Build something. Build something with your child.  It can be a fantastic bonding activity. Try making a tree house, an outdoor patio or a wooden rocking chair for mom. This will encourage your child to become independent and see you as a very skilled and able individual. Allocate at least one weekend each month to building even small things.

6. Do chores together. The child should not see you as a task master that he or she should avoid at all cost. It is important that you do chores together and help in the housework. This way, your child will see you as a caring parent who also knows how to do the dirty work around the house.

Protecting Your Child

7. Being a guardian. Be the main person he can run to during times of trouble or need. You should always be there if the school principal asks for your presence. Talk to other bullies and keep them away from your child if they seem to bother him too much. You can also be a protector by caring for wounds and tending to bruised knees or hurt feelings.

8. Internet protection. Allow your child to see the internet as a fun and informative medium that can be enjoyed during different periods of the day. However, use some precautions so that your child stays protected from the common dangers online. Install spyware and anti-virus software and block adult sites. Take time to monitor the sites that your child frequents and see if there are any unscrupulous individuals lurking around the corners.

The Joy of Music

9. Play music together. If you already know how to play a musical instrument or are good at singing, take time to teach your child the same skill. Buy her a small version of the instrument and a music book or some of your favorite sheet music to begin. It is better to teach her yourself instead of hiring a professional. You can play tunes together after some time and make it a great activity that will last for decades.

Make Art

10. Make some art. Try painting or sketching with your child. Identify the art medium that your child appreciates and takes interest in then invest in it. It can help if you read more and learn more about the art form too.

To learn more about staying connected with your children for life I highly recommend:

Parenting Is a Contact Sport:
8 Ways to Stay Connected to Your Kids for Life

Mission achieved!

____________

If you found this information of value, simply retweet to your followers on Twitter and share with your friends on Facebook.  They will appreciate you for empowering them.

*photo credit: sgmerle