In the 21st century, parenting has changed drastically. Technology has saved a lot of time for parents to spend some time with their children. But technology is not limited to parents and their work; it is also in their children's hands. The time saved by technology is substituted by the time children spend on their gadgets now. Parents are, in fact, more disconnected from their children than ever before. All is not lost; there are many ways to rebuild that connection with your children. All you need to do is understand how to use technology and age-old parenting wisdom together to become super parents. Here are some ways to connect with your children at a deep level:
1. Playing Together
Children play all the time; it's in their genes. From outdoor sports to indoor games and now smartphone games, children always look for entertainment through playing. The only way to have a great time with them while they are playing is to join them. A good way to start is to let them know that you don't know how to play the game they are playing. Even if you do, you can pretend. You have to let your ego down for this. When you ask them to teach you how to play, they have already had a partner to play with, and so they would welcome you to their 'tribe'. Once you hit it off, you can recommend other games to play, and since now you're a playmate, they can play any game with you. You can gradually add games that help them gain information and learn life skills, so you always work as a parent.
2. Learn Valuable Skills
Children might seem resistant when asked to learn something new, but the truth is quite the opposite. Children are always looking for something new, but only as long as it is something enjoyable. The trick is to design learning materials so entertaining that children take it as their playtime to indulge in such activities. Will Braingames has recently published a book, Tips and Tricks for Teaching Your Kids Valuable Skills. She has shared many interesting activities to learn counting, reading, spelling, metaphors, observation, and organisation. Her book extracts her learning of children's psyche and what has worked for her while upbringing her children and grandchildren. The book is her way of sharing her precious experience with the world. The kids-related activities are not just fun for the children, but they provide parents with the learning of how to design their own lessons for their children. They can understand how visuals and their details can indulge a child in the learning process and then make their own visuals to teach something valuable.
3. Talking And Listening
Children like to share everything. Since they haven’t spent as much time in the world as you have, there are many things that they see and experience for the first time. They are immediately excited to share those events with you, even if it is seeing a sleeping kitten. They will always ask you to leave everything and look at what they are showing you. It's a challenge, but you have to take your mind off whatever you are doing, look at their discovery, and appreciate or enjoy what they are showing. Consider this time as your investment in developing their personalities without feelings of neglect. The best way is to start your conversation with them with a question about their favourite cartoon, favourite sport, or time with their best friend. Once there is a flow of conversation, they will share all their secrets, preferences, and, most importantly, what they want to be when they grow up. Talking is the first step for you to become your child's best friend.
4. Learn To Play Music
Playing a musical instrument is one of the life skills that show you truly enjoy life. While many parents hire tutors and buy expensive musical instruments to make their kids great players of an instrument. But, they rarely ever join the learning process with them. If you want your child to learn how to play the guitar, you should learn to play it first. You can also take the lessons with them to feel that they are already ahead by learning to play the instrument at an early age compared to you. Confidence works wonders in the learning process and also allows you to spend more time with your child.
5. Making House Chores Exciting
House chores cannot be ignored or avoided, but you can enjoy them while doing your house chores. When you include your children in the house chores and tell them that they form a critical part of the team on a challenge to complete the difficult task. If it weren't for them, the task could not be completed. To add a cherry on top of the challenge, you can set a reward for the best contributor. Even if you do most of the work, they will feel like an important part of the team. Next time around, they will ask to do a bigger part in the house chore, and this will continue until they are fully capable of completing the house chore independently.
6. Picture Perfect Memories
All parents take pictures of their children when they are young, especially in the first few years of their lives. But most parents don’t get time to view those pictures again. A good idea is to have a picture session with your children when you sit together and look at old photos of them from their crib to the present. It helps them realise how you have taken care of them when they are too small to do anything. You can also recreate the photos from the past with the same gestures and positions to keep the traditions going. It will reignite your relation with them. If you have some great pictures, you can also get customised products like mugs, T-shirts, calendars, or keychains that have your picture with your children. It will remind them each day what they mean to you so that your relationship is never weakened. Children are more connected with the W-Fi than their parents today. But with these tips, you can enter their life and share the most precious moments with them. Remember to prepare well and invest not just with your money but with your time and your intention to raise them as wonderful people.