In the age of the iPhone it can be difficult to connect with your children on a personal level. How can you spend time together outside of the menial everyday tasks while still encouraging creativity? What’s the best way to encourage her budding interests, be it playing a sport or two,embracing the arts, or getting involved in extracurricular activities? Laura Hart, founder and president of Robofun, has a few tips for creating and growing your parent-child bond, whether your little one is in elementary school or a tween or teen.
Play together: Let Your Child Choose How You Spend Time Together
What our children need most from us is often what is hardest for us to give. They need us to be with them fully as opposed to herding them around the city. If your child is interested in making stop-motion animation or creating video games you may be surprised what you learn by having him teach you. It is very empowering for kids to teach adults and for them to understand they know things we don’t.
During this time you might ask him:
- Why do you like this?
- Do you do this in school?
- Would you like to be doing this more often?
- Is it fun to teach me new things?
Make a regular date of spending time together outside of daily demands. Establishing this pattern will pay off and you will find a deeper connection with your child.
Stop, Listen, and Ask Questions
Once on a museum visit my 10-year-old son said to me, “Why do you take me to these places that are really loud and overwhelming?” It was such great feedback on how he was experiencing the visit! From then on, we went to smaller venues we selected together or planned our visits around times that were less crowded.
Find Activities that Support Their Interests
If you have a robot-lover, look for books, after-school programs, summer camps, and local outings that will allow her to expand on her natural curiosity. If you take her to a special event related to her interest follow up with questions like, “I noticed you really loved the room on circuits, would you like to find out more about building circuits? Maybe we could find a program or an activity online?” Your child will appreciate the opportunity to share her interests with you. Plus, you may even find new activities you both enjoy.
Find Ways to Laugh Together
Sometimes in the blur of city life, we forget to indulge in one of the best parts of parenting: laughter! Some of these moments may be about things that didn’t go as planned. Learning to laugh about it and move on are valuable tools in life and make for a great way to bond with your child.
