Happy, happy Wednesday! OH My goodness! It is already Wednesday! We have a really big weekend coming up! We are having Mikeys birthday party, it is a star wars theme….. lots to do for that! The week is flying by!
Yesterday, was a busy fun day. We played blocks, read stories, danced, did puzzles, ate our meals together, taught a friend how to make chicken picata… so good ,one of my favorite meals, and made 12 dozen cookies! You can see that recipe HERE, I was trying to make sure I did not do so much that I missed out of the kids. You know those days, where you are busy and before you know it, the whole day is over and you barely acknowledged your family.
I was thinking about some things that I could do/ are doing that were easy, only take a few minutes and can make a HUGE difference. I came up with my list, I try to do these, I am not always perfect at it. That is what makes us great parents though, WE are ALWAYS improving! Yes, we are all great parents! We need to know that!
Here are ten EASY things to do that will make a HUGE difference!
- Put on your favorite music and dance! Dance for a few minutes, even if only for one song and even if you look like a fool, DANCE with them! They will think you are great, they will have fun and even better, when they hear that song again, they will think of you dancing with them.
- When they come home from school or if they are home with you, go up to them and hug them. Hug them for at least ten seconds. Studies have shown that hugging helps reduce stress. Try to hug them a few times a day!
- Serve dinner with your fancy plates and cups. Even if it is French fries and chicken nuggets! Serve it on a nice plate and with fancy glass. Don’t have fancy glasses? Go to the dollar store, they have them for a DOLLAR! It makes any meal feel special! Charlotte is only three and she loves it when we use the fancy glasses!
- Write them a letter, tell them what you love about them. Tell them how happy you are to be their parent. If they are too little to read, you can read it to them. My mom wrote me a letter when I was 12. I still have it.
- Watch a show together. A show that they LOVE! Yes, even if it is a show that makes you want to rip your eyes out and run screaming from the room. Put your phone on silent and in the other room, so you aren’t tempted to look at it. Cuddle up with them and watch the show. It will only be a 1/2 hour…. you can do it! They will love it!
- Drive around for a little bit, give your self a hour or just 30 min and drive. Go through the McDonalds drive thru and get ice cream cones, hey they are only .50 cents!! If you have super little ones, like Marsha who is 16 months old, grab her a lollipop or a bib so she can have a treat too! Drive around and chat :) sing! Enjoy the moment!
- Get up a little early and eat breakfast with them. If that is not possible stay up a little late and have nighttime snack with them. The point is just to take the extra 15 min that will brighten their whole day!
- Go on a walk around the block, perfect for after dinner! A simple walk, you will enjoy nature, you will talk , you will connect! AGAIN Leave your phone!!
- Tell them you love them every day! Make a conscious effort to tell them a few times a day. Get into the habit of when you leave, hug them bye and tell them you love them. One of these days it will be the last time you do that. I make sure to tell people I love them every time I get off the phone or leave. It is not habit in the sense that the words mean nothing. In fact they mean everything and I want that person to know that I love them. Your family should know that most of all.
- Play a game with them. It can be a board game, it can be a card game. If you don’t have any of those games, grab some paper and play best out of 5 tic tac toe games. You will laugh and have fun and again it will only take about 5-10 min but will make a huge difference.
The main point is to connect in some way, our kids need us. They need to know that they matter and mean so much to us. I have seven kids and I admit it can be so hard to find time to connect with each one, there are days where I wish I had more time. I try to have one of them help with dinner but sometimes that doesn’t always work either. However, I make sure to connect in some way with each of them. Play a quick card game before dinner, or grab a hug when they get home. Talk to them at bedtime. It is a conscious effort and one that I will always be trying to improve!
You can use these ten ideas for your spouse too! Who wouldn’t love a walk? A letter? Dinner on fancy dishes? Sometimes we take each other for granted….. how much better would our relationships be if we put in a little more effort!
I would love to hear how you connect with your kids! I always learn from others so feel free to share what works for you! I hope you have a super day!
This was my family in June, I am so very grateful for each of them!
SMILE BOOK:
Taught a friend to make chicken picata last night… yummy! I want to share it on the blog now!
Marsha loves cottage cheese! LIKE LOVES IT! Ate it for breakfast this morning!
I love quotes that inspire! I think I could read quotes all day!
The kids played outside yesterday! It is getting warmer!
Heston and I played dutch blitz, he beat me three times! I won once and yes I was really playing!
HUGE HUGS!
Yes church says the same about being there for when your kids come and go from the house! Even busy working parents can give a quick call or text to make a connection. Also, as my kids got older, I would read what books they were so we could chat aboutvit. They still have me do this. STILL working on the Hobbit!
Deb,
That is a super idea! Thanks for sharing!!
Hugs,
Lara