Between work and daily responsibilities, life for parents can get really busy. Finding time to spend with your family can get scarce when you’re a working mom or dad. Guilt about working full time will set in and the worry about not having enough quality time may stress you out. Many parents feel as if they aren’t allowed to have time to themselves, have a night out with their friends, or even go to the gym. You are not ditching your child when you choose to go do stuff for yourself or with yourself. It is needed to keep a parent in good spirits so they can parent to their best ability.

Though it is good to have time to spend away, the time you do spend with your children is of great importance. Children benefit from having high-quality time with their parents as it strengthens the relationship and builds trust and memories. As they grow up they will look back and remember the quality time that they shared with their parents and it will affect them positively.

Building a bond with your children not only makes you happy but the family as a whole. If you’re too busy with work and life’s duties are taking over your free time, try to set up dates or times specifically for quality time. How you choose to spend that time matters too.

Do more activities together

Those small tasks or activities you may do on your own could be accompanied by your child. Do more activities with your kids to create a family oriented home. Invite your child to help you with something to make your child feel involved in your life and to help bring some fun to a simple task. Take this chance to laugh and be silly with your child; they’ll love it! Make a little room for them in your daily activities.

Fix things together

Home improvements and small projects are perfect ways to get your child involved. Not only will this teach them how to fix things on their own, but it will bring you together. Working together on something and getting them to use their hands keeps them away from the tv and into using their brains. Explain how things work and what to do so they learn and as time goes on have them show you. Anything that needs fixing, big or small, could be turned into a fun family project.

Make dinner

The feeling of cooking dinner with your family is a memorable one. Getting your kids to help you cook a meal will be the easiest part about parenting as they will enjoy the process more than you. Pick easy meals to show them. Give them space and allow them to make things themselves. The children will get a lesson in cooking and you will get a closer bond with your kids. Add a theme to your cooking night like, pizza night and watch your kids light up with excitement.

Read together

Reading to your children and having them read to you is a special moment. This time is intimate and will make you connect with your kid on a different level. Allow them to chose what they want to read and have them decide who reads. By broadening your child’s imagination and vocabulary, reading is the best way to kill two birds with one stone.

Travel

Take the time to plan a trip and from beginning to end, involve your children. Ask their opinions on destinations and every aspect of planning the trip. Traveling with your kids creates memories that they will have forever and a special bond between you both. Taking a trip somewhere, it doesn’t have to be far, makes kids excited about spending time with their parents. Your travels do not have to be expensive for them to be memorable. Choose budget based destination ideas. Kids pay attention to different things compare to adults so, the luxuries you may appreciate don’t affect kids the same.

You can even do activities that require leaving the house to spend quality time. Take a trip to the museum or the park and kindle your friendship with your kids. A trip to the zoo will bring excitement to your little ones as they have the choice to become involved with the animals. Most kids are ecstatic to learn and this gives them the chance to with their parents supporting them.

Work from home

If you’re comfortable enough to change a large part of your daily life, think about working from home. There are many careers that can be done remotely these days so, take advantage of it. You will free up more time that you can spend with your family. Find a job that fits you to make your life a little more about your kids.

Jobs can be done at home:

• Virtual Assistant
• Translator
• Medical Transcriptionist
• Web developer
• Freelance Writer
• Nurses
• Traveling Physicians
• Virtual Doctor