If you’re looking for ways to connect with your child, I’ve got you covered.  

Parenting is hard.  If we’re honest, adulting is hard, too.  Our daily responsibilities seem endless.  We stress because we have so much to do, not enough time and as a result, our relationships suffer.  By connecting with our children, we are simultaneously strengthening our relationship with them.  What matters most during your bonding activities is the quality of your time spent; not the number of hours.  Thirty minutes of quality uninterrupted time most days can have a long-lasting, positive effect on the relationship you have with your child.

While there are countless ways to connect with your child, here are seven quick ideas to get started.

 

Family dinner questions

Asking questions at the dinner table is my favorite way to connect with your child!  I discovered this way to build our family’s connection by accident, and it has become an invaluable nightly family tradition.  I purchased a deck of sentence completion cards with the goal of learning more about how much 4-year-old thinks and processes her feelings.  

Each night someone picks one card, and we all take turns completing the sentence.  This is a simple, yet incredibly valuable way to bond.  You could purchase your own set of questions (there are many options) or create a list of your own for free!

Puppet play

Puppets are another favorite in our house, and I bet they’d be a favorite in your home as well.

Most of the time there is no quicker way to change the mood from meltdown to smiles when a puppet pops in to save the day.

Not surprising, if Mr. Frog says it’s time to go brush our teeth versus mommy saying it’s time to go brush our teeth, who do you think is more likely to achieve the desired outcome (to brush teeth)?  I’ll give you a hint: It’s not the mommy!

It’s not enough just to bring the puppet out and talk in your regular voice.  Puppets need to have their own personality.  It doesn’t matter how they sound; they just have to sound different and kinda like a fun friend!

Play a Game together

And I don’t mean boring Chutes and Ladders or Candy Land.  No offense if you like those, they’re just not fun to me after the fifth time.  There are some super fun games I recommend you check out because these are fun ways to connect with your child while enjoying a good game yourself.

Our current two favorite “board games” right now are Shopping Cart and Go Away Monster.  Before making a purchase, I always read customer reviews.  It’s not a coincidence when there are loads of reviews with consistent 5-star ratings.  Shopping Cart is excellent because it’s a game but also incorporates memory.  Go Away Monster is just fun because, well, you get to get rid of the monsters however you want.

Related: Truths about mother-daughter days

Picnic in the park

Plan a lunchtime outing to enjoy a picnic together!  While an outdoor picnic might put you at the mercy of mother nature, indoor picnics can be just as fun!

Child-led play

There’s nothing more valuable to a child than your time.  They don’t care about “stuff” or what your grown-up responsibilities are for the day.  In reviewing ways to connect with your child, playing with him (or her) is second to none.

Even just 30 minutes of alone time without distraction playing whatever it is your child loves to play will feed into the strong desired relationship you both so desperately want.

Tell the weather on your child’s back

I bet you’re thinking… Ummm, what?  Ok, let me ask you: do you enjoy massages?  This is the same concept.  Another one of my favorite ways to connect with your child is to “draw” or “give a weather report” on the child’s back.  Start your morning routine on a positive note with this creative, fun parent-child connection idea.  

Try this tomorrow, or even right now.  Here is a sample script I use when doing this with my 5-year-old, Kaylee:

Me: Let’s review today’s weather forecast and I’ll draw it on your back.

Kaylee sits criss-cross in front of me and I sit behind her back.

Me: This morning the sun will rise. I draw a sunshine complete with rays coming out of the circle. It will also be quite windy until the afternoon.  I use my fingers to brush wind motions all over her back.  BUT, in the afternoon, clouds start to move in.  I draw clouds on her back.  Suddenly, the rain starts pouring from the sky!  I use my fingertips to press dots all over her back like rain falling.  THEN, the thunder booms.  I use my two fists to make thunder sounds on her back.

You get the picture.  Human touch creates a strong feeling of love without spoken words.  What a great way to start everyone’s day.

Tell a Story

There are a few ways to tell stories.  Obviously, you can read books together.  Go to the library together. Read, read and read more books.  There are so many benefits to reading books.

But, another storying telling option when thinking about ways to connect with your child is better than reading a book.

Tell your child a story from your childhood.  Oh, yes!  Children LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to hear stories about when their mommy and daddy were little.  They’ll remember your story and your child will ask you to tell their favorite stories many more times in the future.

Finally, make up a story together!  We love story cards.  You can take turns making up an entire story each OR you can create one elaborate story together by taking turns adding the next part of the story.

 

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