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Connecting with Your Kids When You Don’t Have A Lot of Time
By Polly | March 6, 2008
A family with purpose is a family who strives to manage and balance their lives and who work diligently to prevent their lives from being controlled by outside factors. A family with purpose sets priorities and lives their lives accordingly.
Is your homework finished? Did you make your bed? What do you want for lunch? Some days it feels like this is all I ever say to my kids. Days like these are enough to make any parent feel sad and insecure.
In the midst of all the chaos, sometimes parents forget that connecting with kids doesn’t have to be some big expensive time consuming event. The little things really are important and can be just as effective! Here are a few ideas, all of which require very little time, to help you connect with your kids even on the most chaos filled days.
Lipstick Kisses - Every morning before work, my friend Kelle would put on her favorite shade of lipstick and leave her sleeping sons huge lipstick kisses on their cheeks. When the boys awoke later the morning after their mother had left for work, they found beautiful reminders of their mother’s love.
A Kiss a Day - Another friend who had to spend an extended period of time in the hospital left her kids a bowl of Hershey Kisses. Every day each child was allowed one of their mother’s kisses from the bowl. The kisses were a simple and gentle (not to mention great tasting) way of reminding her kids that she loved them even when she couldn’t be with them. You don’t have to be in the hospital to make this work for you. Leaving the kisses in their lunch boxes, with their breakfast, or on their pillow can be just as effective and fun. Be creative and have fun with this!
Love Notes - Leave your kids simple little love notes letting them know how much they are loved and appreciated. You can leave the notes on pillows, in backpacks, with a special blanket or toy, in lunches, or in your family mailbox. Some possible things to write are, I love you because, I’m glad you’re my son/daughter because, I love fill in the blank with you, or a simple note of thanks for loving you.
Bedtime Rituals - Bedtime is often a good time to connect with your kids either with a special way of saying goodnight, a special bedtime story, prayers, or just simply laying with them in bed and talking about your day.
Secret Handshakes - Create a special way of saying hello or goodbye to your kids with a secret handshake, special hug, or wave.
Related Entries:
The Goodnight Thing
Being Intentional About How You Communicate With Your Kids and Spouse