Spending One on One Time with Kids When You Have More Than One Child

How to Spend Quality Time with Children

When you have 2 or more children, you often feel that you are being pulled in many directions at once.  With the craziness of daily life, and when you are just trying to get everything done, how do you make sure each of your children feels individually special? This is an issue that I have definitely dealt with, especially with my middle child. He was constantly being pulled between his older and younger siblings and I remember being at a loss with how to deal with making sure he felt equally acknowledged.

I asked the advice of his preschool director, who has seen thousands of children come through her school, and is a mother of 3 as well.  Her advice was complete common sense.  Make sure that each child has individual time and attention with both parents, either individually or together.  My middle guy was always with either one sibling or both, not often alone with us.  So, after making a good effort to spend one-on-one time with each child, we saw a definite improvement in his behavior.

Spending individual time with each child individually strengthens your bond in a different way than as a group.  You are showing them how important they are to you by giving them your undivided attention.  One-on-one time is a confidence booster.  If they are shown how special and important they are, your child will hopefully feel it within themselves.  It also lessens attention-seeking behavior (often manifested as negative behavior), as I found out.

Spending time alone with your child doesn’t have to be expensive or outrageous.  Choose something they like to do and do it with them.  Go for a walk or bike ride, cook or bake with them.  Any way you can be together is a job well done.

Taking the time to make these small, but important memories with each of your children will be so fulfilling in the long run.  With the way time flies, being able to look back on these special moments will bring happiness to your heart.
 
 
Meet The Bella Behind the Blog: Kristen Farley is a mother of three and a domestic goddess. She is a former teacher who enjoys spending lots of time with her kids, healthy eating, volunteering at school, and mommy blogging for the masses.

Be on the lookout for more of Kristen’s expert advice and brillent tips!