Take a moment to think of someone you just love to pieces. Are you thinking of them? What is it about them that you love? Do they have to act a certain way to earn your love?
I can think of two people that are very special to me. My parents. I love to joke around and have fun with them, I love to listen to their stories and talk with them, and I love to share experiences with them. Some of the most important attributes my parents have which make me love them is their care for me and for what is important to me, their want for what is best for me, and their taking time out of their lives to be with me. This is the type of parent I want to be for my own children.
So how can we be there for our children and show them we care? Here are a few ways to make meaningful moments with your children.
Include them in your life.
Time is a luxury of parenthood that is in limited supply. It can be hard to take time out to be with your kids when there are other various responsibilities that need to get done. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to take much effort to spend quality time with your children. Just get creative! Involving your children in your life is a great way to bond with them. Tell your child what is going on with you, using words and concepts she can understand, and allow her to be involved in activities with you that need to be completed, like chores. This not only teaches her responsibility, but gives her personal time with you as well.
Plan out attainable goals with your children that you can complete together.
Nothing is as satisfying as making a plan, sticking to it, accomplishing it, and celebrating its success! Ask your kids what they think the importance of making, progressing on, and achieving goals are, and then it’s your turn to explain to them the importance of such actions. Next, ask your children what their short-term and long-term aspirations are, and keep a list of what they say. Write down the pros and cons of each goal and discuss them with your child. Then ask them how they plan on achieving those goals and how long they expect them to take. It might be a good idea to start with smaller goals that your children can achieve more quickly to help them gain confidence in themselves and get used to the process of making and completing goals. It might also be helpful for you to guide them through their first few goals by keeping them on track and giving them tips for success. Then you can gradually work your way up to bigger goals and allow your children to eventually set their own goals and work on them by themselves.
This activity can be extremely helpful for your children to experience in order to help them understand the positive benefits of setting goals, planning their achievement, and succeeding in accomplishing them. This in turn will give them confidence to set future goals as they continue to grow and develop and know that they have the ability and the skills to achieve what they set their mind and actions to.
Last, keep a journal of all the positive experiences you have with your children.
Sometimes, it can be hard to get out of the house and do something with your kids. Or sometimes, it might just be a difficult day, where both you and your children need to take some time out to breathe. It can be a really positive experience to keep a journal of all the good times you have with your children, and to temporarily take out this journal to record these precious times with your children or to just take out your journal to reflect on them with your children. These memorable moments can be either of large events or small snippets of life. It might not seem important now, but when you look back on these memories with your children, they will come to realize how important they are in your lives and that you are extremely important in theirs.
These are the moments that really matter.
For more information on setting goals click here.
