Weekday evenings after school and work are the most difficult times for me as a parent. It feels like everything is hurry up, get the kids home, get the kids fed, get them bathed, and put them to bed. Before I know it the evening is over and if I haven't been careful about really connecting with my kids I'll start to feel guilty that I didn't spend any quality time with them.
Reconnecting with your kids after a long day of work and school is important, but how do you do it in the rush to get everything else done before their bed time? Parenting experts believe that 12 minutes a day may be all that is needed for fathers and mothers to reconnect with their children. The trick is that parents have to ask their children open-ended questions.
Read more ¿Qué más?: Sad news: Most kids spend less than an hour outdoors a day
Twelve minutes? I can totally find 12 minutes every evening to reconnect with my kids. As far as asking them open-ended questions, that's not so hard or is it? Well, I may be guilty of asking close-ended questions. Asking, "Did you have a nice day at school?" is just not as good at getting a child to talk as asking, "What was your favorite part of your school day?"
Getting accustomed to really asking your children questions and listening to their answers is a great way to bond. It also teaches them to be engaged and engaging.
So let's stop feeling guilty that our days and our children's days our too busy and let's use the time we have together to really connect.
Here are some sample open-ended questions that you can ask your kids to get you started on the habit.
For ages 3-4
- What was the best game you played today?
- What toy did you play with?
- What colors was your teacher wearing today?
For ages 4-8
- What made you laugh today?
- Can you act out what you did on the playground for me today?
- Guess what I did today?
For ages 8-14
- What is the best news you heard all day?
- What are you working on in your science class? Can I help you?
- Who are your friends and why do you like them?
Obviously, you won't be asking the same questions every day because your kid might think you've lost your mind, but you've got somewhere to start and the more questions you ask your child, the more questions will come to mind.
Happy bonding!
Image via Thinkstock
