As a parent, you are often faced with more responsibilities than you can handle, and it can take time away from your kids. This can happen when you’re busy working and trying to make a living while your children are home. When you finally get to see them, they’re already asleep and preparing for the next school day.
You also lose time with your children on weekends. Since this is a free day, they might ask you to go to the mall or to an exciting event, but because this is also your rest day from work, you might not have the energy to go out.
This never-ending cycle of catching up on responsibilities is why most parents feel like their lives are just passing them by. While they’re busy making ends meet, their children are growing up and growing apart from them without even noticing it. When this gap continues to widen, it can be difficult to build bridges that will connect them later on.
This is why it’s important to dedicate time to bond with your kids. In a few years, you might still be dealing with the same financial problems, but your kids will be bigger, older, and capable of standing on their own two feet.
You might realize one day that while you’re busy with your responsibilities, your kids have grown into adults who may no longer need you. So, before this happens, you must take proactive measures to bond with your children in any way you can, such as in these three aspects of life:
Personal Care
On average, boys need monthly haircuts, while girls need a trim once every three months. But of course, this will depend on their preferences. If you’re a parent to a boy and a girl, this means that you will find yourself escorting your kids to a barber at least once a month for the duration of their childhood.
This may not look like much, but spending all that time traveling to and from your house, waiting in line to get a haircut, and spending money on something that you can do yourself can seem like a waste. But if you bought yourself some ergonomic shears and learned how to cut their hair properly, you would not need to go to a barber as often anymore.
It will also give you more time to spend and bond with your kids. You can save more money in the process as well because you no longer have to spend on transportation and haircutting services. Plus, knowing how to cut hair might be a useful life skill in the long run.
Creative Outlets
Most parents introduce their children to various creative outlets as they grow up. This includes formal private lessons for piano, guitar, or other musical instruments. It could also be painting sessions, karate classes, or other forms of learning outside of school.
But spending on these extra-curricular classes can be hefty. You might think that this is your only option even though it’s not. To save money while bonding with your kids, you may want to try teaching them yourself.
This bonding opportunity might also be what you need to reignite your passion for the hobbies you set aside the moment you became a parent. For instance, you can teach your kids how to finger paint, and throughout the activity, you can exchange stories so that you can grow closer while expressing your own creativity.
Eating Food
Food is an integral part of life because it provides people the sustenance they need to survive. But beyond that, food can bridge the gaps that time apart has left on relationships. That’s why many people who reunite with their friends do so over food and drinks.
It’s easy to build relationships when there’s food involved because it can act as a mediator. Making food is also a great way to forge bonds because the process takes time. While the food is cooking, the relationship can start brewing.
If you and your kids share a love for food, then eating or making it is can help you be more present in their lives. You can begin by sharing the types of food you like with them on weekday dinners or encouraging them to help you prepare food on weekends. These simple events can be very meaningful to your children once they grow up.
Making time for the people you love can be hard, but it’s not impossible. Don’t wait for the day when your kids can do just fine without you because that’s sooner than you think. So, make every moment count because if you wait too long, you might already miss half of their lives.
