Many working parents feel guilty that they don’t spend enough time with their kids. However, when it comes to weekends, they feel lost about how to engage with their kids in a meaningful way.
If you don’t want to waste the precious family time watching soap operas or playing with cell phones, then this article is for you. We will explore the best ways for parents to engage and interact with their kids.
Read to your child
Reading is a great habit that will benefit your child for his entire life. Reading a book together not only helps your child learn something new, but also helps set an example for your child to love reading. While you read a new story or a scientific subject to your kid, you can ask her questions to check her understanding. Or vise versa, she will ask you to explain some specific terms or subjects. That’s what makes reading an interactive activity for parents and kids to learn together.
Take on house projects with your child
Another great way to spend quality with your child but also get something done is to involve them in household projects. For example, you can invite your child to help design house decors, trim the plants in the backyard, bake bread or cookies, or organize closets. By helping out their parents, a child learns important daily-life skills and also gets to understand all the hard work their parents put in managing the house. It also teaches kids not to take everything for granted.
Play with learning toys
There are many toys available for kids today. Some are for pure entertainment purposes while some have tremendous educational values. For example, engineering toys for middle-schoolers can help reinforce what they have learned at school, robotic toys for kids can introduce programming and coding at a young age. Many of these toys require assistance from parents, especially if your child is new to STEM toys. By helping your child in assembling and programming these toys, you can demonstrate how to solve problems through trial and error and teach them planning and critical thinking skills. If you are not familiar with STEM toys, here is a STEM Toy Guide for Parents that explains stem toys and their benefits in detail.
Take your kids to nature
Spending time outdoors is a great way for your child to learn about mother nature, to stay active, and to get some fresh air. If the weather permits, you can take your child to a park, a hiking trail, or just your backyard, and take on some family activities together. For example, you can teach your kid how to ride a bicycle or how to use a scooter. Not only will you teach them useful skills, but you will also show them how to stay tough and stand up to failures. If your child is still a toddler, you can get a 4-in-1 tricycle that has training wheels. Staying outdoors is also good for parents’ mental health. After a stressful week of working and taking care of your kid, you deserve to relax and just enjoy nature with your child.
Visit museums with your child
Many parents want to make sure that their kids spend their weekends in a productive way. Going to a museum with parents is both exciting and fun for kids of all ages. During the visit to the museum, your child will see lots of new things and read about their historical backgrounds and scientific value. In the meantime, it gives you a chance to explain various subjects to them and show them how they are relevant to our current life. Besides, you may learn a thing or two as well.
Sing karaoke together
Have you thought about singing songs with your kid? Yes, singing is a great way to release stress, to practice deep breathing, and to enjoy oneself. You don’t have to be a pro to have fun singing. By doing karaokes, your child can be introduced to different types of songs, which helps cultivate his appreciation in music and arts. After a singing session, you both will feel so much relieved from any stress from school or work.
Conclusion
There are many ways for parents to interact with their kids besides watching TV together. Family time can be entertaining as well as educational. Whether you read books or play with learning toys together indoors, or ride bikes in a park, you will always be the best teacher to your child. Enjoy the precious family time and enjoy your kids while they are still young.
