Connecting with Our Children: Part Two

After my last post some of you may be thinking, “Me oh my!  My schedule is already full enough!  How in the world am I going to plan extra things to connect with my children!  Aren’t I doing enough?”

Connecting with your children does not start with the calendar or the pocketbook!

Connecting with your children starts within the fibers of your own heart.

What is your attitude towards your children?

Are you cherishing them and doing your best to preserve and develop your relationship with your children?

Your goal isn’t to bless your children with things and emptiness that will drain both of you. Your goal is to do things intentionally and purposefully, every day, to win the hearts and minds of your children and to have a positive, victorious relationship with them!

The first thing we can do is evaluate our regular daily habits.

Are we telling our children we love them?

Are we snuggling with them?

Are we giving them our undivided attention?

Are we taking just a few moments each day to communicate and listen?

Are we praying for them?

Are we recognizing their needs and trying to help fulfill them?

Beyond our daily habits, we can plan special events that show our children that we care about them.

A couple things to consider:

• Relationships need a good dose of fun and lightheartedness.  Laughter is good medicine!  Do fun things with your children!
• Keep your children’s interests in mind.  All of us like it when people show interest in the things we like to do.  Can you plan an activity or a discussion with your children’s interests in mind?

We take our children on dates from time to time, and they love it!  They feel special, as they have more individualized/focused attention from us and oftentimes get to choose where to go.  (A couple of the above photos were from a date I had with my boys.  I took them to Panera Bread at 7 a.m. in the morning on a weekday.  It was a bit of a sacrifice for me, but they enjoyed it thoroughly!)

What can you start doing today to make better connections
with your children?

In my next post I will share a craft my daughter and I did together a few days ago.