Preview:Â Use these 10 creative ways to bond with your kids by building them into your everyday tasks! FREE PRINTABLE ebook!
Do you ever feel disconnected with your kids? Just need some simple ways to bond with your kids in your busy day?
How to reconnect with your childÂ
Everyone is finally asleep and you can’t wait to lay your head down on your pillow and rest. As soon as you do, your head starts to run in overdrive: “Did I put the towels in the dryer? Do I need to add money to the kids’ lunch account? What time is that dentist appointment on Tuesday?”
You quickly realize that Moms don’t rest easily and your mind continues to run through the list because you can’t get to sleep until you can mentally check these things off.
What is the one thing that makes you lose the most sleep? What bothers Mom the most before she closes her eyes at night?
Her love for her babies: “Did I spend enough time with the kids today? I feel like we are always rushing around. I was so busy with chores that I didn’t have time to play Candy Land when they asked. Are they getting enough attention from me?”
Importance of parent and child bonding
As moms, we know it is important to bond with our kids. It is an innate sense. But just how important is it to their growth and development?
According to a study from the London Journal of Primary Care, “Without a good initial bond, children are less likely to grow up to become happy, independent and resilient adults”. (reference) Â This same study goes on to say that positive bonding experiences in the first two years of life can actually cause DNA changes in the brain that canals for generations. Amazing, isn’t it? And we thought it was just nice to hug our babies.
The parent-child relationship “affects attachment security, anxiety and depression in adulthood. … It is crucial that parents create a bond, play with, and have open and close conversation with their child.” (The American College of Pediatricians).
Bonding with our kids is setting them up for future success, helping them live happy lives, and apparently fostering positive DNA changes that they will pass on to your grandchildren!
How do I find time for parent-child bonding activities?
Breath Mom. You are more than enough. You do more than 10 people can do in a day. And your kids know the truth- You are an amazing mom!
The thing that has always bothered me about being a mom is that we have to spend so much time taking care of our kids (doing their laundry, playing Mom taxi, running a household, etc.) that we don’t get to take as much time WITH them. We want to play blocks and Barbies but we also have to grocery shop!
Ways to bond with your kids
I have three kids under 6 years old. I work from home and they are homeschooled. Finding time to bond with them is just as much of a struggle as trying to fit in a shower. I cannot find time to stop and take individual time out for bonding with each child. I have to have ways to be present and still get to dance class on time.
I have come up with a few ways to bond with your kids by building little moments into those boring, mundane (but necessary) life tasks. You can do the laundry, drive to soccer practice, and feed the kids dinner while building in some simple bonding activities. These simple ideas allow you to have a little fun with your kids, help them feel special, and create a stronger bond without carving out separate time in your already busy day.
->For example, when I am making and serving meals to my kids, I often play restaurant. I pretend they are the customers and I am the waitress. I call them Sir and M’am and I even draw up a bill in the end. I have to feed them anyway so this is just a little way to make it fun and bond with them. I bet they will always remember silly Mom playing restaurant over breakfast.
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Bri says
I feel this way ALL the time! I am making a more concerted effort to make my errands feel more special for my toddler. As for my older kids it’s hard to get the one on one time when they both come home from school.