How often would you say that you spend quality 1-on-1 time with your kids? For a lot of us, it may be a lot less than we’d like to admit.
Now, one thing you need to know about me and my husband is that we’ve got seven kids at home. So that’s a lot of little needs, wants, personalities, and interests that we have to balance.
Over the last few years, God has really laid it on our hearts as a couple to make sure we spend 1-on-1 time with each of our kids – especially as they get older.
But with our busy schedule, demanding work lives, and a home that always seems to need a good cleaning, what does that actually even look like?
What holds us back from quality time?
Maybe your kids are teenagers. Maybe you have a baby and a toddler at home. No matter your current parenting situation, you still have the chance to make a significant, long-lasting impact on your kids.
But for so many of us moms it can feel too overwhelming to know where to start because of the obstacles that seem to be in the way. So what’s holding YOU back from spending quality, 1-on-1 time with your kids?
Some of the most common answers for parents are:
1. Finances
2. Fear of not connecting
3. Too busy
4. Not having answers/not knowing what to say
Do any of these sounds familiar to you?
There’s no doubt that building and strengthening your relationship with your kids is work. But it is one type of work that is so worth it to invest in.
Think about your relationship with the Lord. It doesn’t just happen. You have to work at it. You have to show up. And it’s the same with your relationships with your kids.
These are my children and they’re our priority. If we want to have a strong, long-lasting relationship with them, it has to start somewhere. So how do we make 1-on-1 time with our kids a tradition without it feeling overwhelming or awkward?
Just Start Small
Here’s some good news… spending quality time with your kids doesn’t have to be this huge, intensive effort. It doesn’t have to be extravagant. The idea is intentional time away with your children to learn about them.
Just start small with a walk, have a real conversation before you drop your child off at practice. Take one kid at a time out for an ice cream cone.
It could be something as small as every Tuesday night taking a walk with one of your kids after dinner. The important thing is that you create the SPACE for conversation and connection.
Since we’ve got 7 kids in our house, we’ve decided to do little trips with the boys and girls separately as a way to get away and connect. In fact, my husband Benjamin just came back from a daddy-daughter trip with our girls.
Our consensus so far? Making this intentional time with our kids has been SO worth it.
Because when we create that space as parents, we’re deepening our relationships, building trust and we’re able to point our kids toward God.
What are some ways that YOU make time for connection with your kids? 👇🏽
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You can hear more of this conversation, “The Importance of Finding 1-on-1 Time With Your Kids” on the 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 podcast right here.
