Finding Time for Your Kids: Daily Rituals That Really Matter

Janene Baadsgaard, author of “15 Secrets to a Happy Home” shares how to make the daily rituals with your children really count.

Here are several daily rituals parents might consider adding to their normal routine.

Create Memorable Mealtimes

Families who commit to eating at least one meal together soon discover the benefits that come from creating a golden family hour each day. This hour is time set aside exclusively for the family. It helps to set aside a specific time every day and eliminate as many distractions as possible by turning off the television, computer and telephones. Community, school, career and church activities are numerous and will encroach on family time if not carefully selected.

A golden hour might include:

Preparing a meal together

Saying a prayer

Eating together

Reading a chapter from a good book/talking about the day’s activities/singing a song

Doing the dishes together

Helping with homework/going for a walk/throwing a baseball/playing a board game.

* Make Homecomings and Departures a “Touching” Event
Everyone likes to be noticed, appreciated and loved. It only takes a few seconds for parents to make every homecoming and departure a little more warm and fuzzy for their children. Don’t hold back. Be warm and affectionate when your child leaves or come back home.

Parents can:

Kiss

Hug

Make a positive comment – “I believe in you!” “Make it a good day.” “I’m so glad you’re home!” “I missed you today.”

Wave from the window

Blow kisses

Smile

Say “I love you.”

* Utilize Transport Time

Most parents and children spend part of their day in their car going and coming from a multitude of activities like school, lessons and activities. Parents can put this time to better use by recognizing car time as a great time for positive personal parent/child interaction.

Parents can:Turn off cell phones/radio/stereo

Be truly present

Talk

Listen – Sometimes children open up best when they aren’t looking straight at you

Create fun car games and a family goodbye honk

Invite one child at a time to accompany you on routine errands

* Establish Pleasurable Bed Time Routines

Bedtime routines can be painful and stressful if rushed or forced. It only takes a few extra minutes to have positive personal time with each child each night.

Parents can:

Stager bedtimes for each child so they have individual time and avoid interruptions

Read books

Tell original adventure tales starring the child

Take a few minutes to carefully tuck the child in bed

Ask: “What was one good thing that happened today?”

“What was one thing that was not so good?”

Sing a lullaby

Pray

Stroke the child’s forehead

Say I love you

Rub noses/kiss/hug

Children who have been loved know how to love. Daily loving rituals don’t take more time or money; they only require that parents re-order their lives so that they have unhurried time for the people who matter most.

Janene Baadsgaard is a well-known author and speaker about family life. She has published hundreds of newspaper columns, magazine articles and a dozen books offering her readers valuable information, insight and humor. She and her husband Ross are the parents of ten children and live on two acres in the country near Spanish Fork, Utah. She can be reached at janenebaadsgaard@q.com . Check out her blog at: janenebaadsgaard.blogspot.com