Real Time with your Children

This is a post I wrote back in Oct. I wanted to share it again as I have been understanding more and more the importance of spending one on one time with my children.

Time with your kids is never wasted

 
When we began having more children and as they got older, Mr. Beloved (my husband) was wise enough to see that our children needed individual one on one time with both of us. Even though I am a stay at home mom and I am with the children all day long, it seems between cooking, cleaning, laundry, nurturing the kids, etc
. the one on one time seems to be something that was hard to accomplish. 

So, he came up with the idea that every night he would take one child and I would take one child and we would alternate the kids until all kids had a turn with each of us. 

We would keep that child up an extra 15-30 min doing whatever they wanted.  Sometimes it would be a board game, a favorite book, hot chocolate, a do-nut, talking, drawing coloring, or whatever. They even would get to sit next to us in the "Special Time seat" as they call it at dinner time.

It really is such a special time with them. I really enjoy that time and they especially look forward to it as well. The bonding has been so unique with each one of them and I know that it means a lot to them, as when they have had to miss it for varies reasons they were very disappointed.  

This is just one way we try and spend individual one on one time with all 5 of our children. Sometimes its a challenge as we may want to just go to bed or do other things during that time like have time for ourselves, but in the end we know that investing in them and building a good relationship with them is far more important, after all we dont get any do overs with our kids.

What are some ways you squeeze in one on one time with your children?