7 Simple Tips for Bonding with Your Children
Bonding with your children as they grow up isn’t always easy. With their interests and attitude constantly changing, it can be difficult to find common ground. Although this can make it challenging to create the relationship you want, it’s certainly not impossible. With some different techniques and a commitment to coming together, you can get closer with your kids and enjoy an unbreakable bond.
- Know Their Love Language
In order to bond with your children, you need to understand how they feel loved. Every person is different, so what might work for one kid, may not always work for another. Talk to your child about what makes them feel valued and important. Consider taking quizzes online to break down the different forms of love languages and which ones match to your kids. This way, you’ll know what will make your child happy. Maybe one of your children enjoys quality time, so going out for lunch or a late night dessert would be great. However, maybe another one of your children feels loved through gifts, if they’re old enough you could consider giving them a beautiful tennis bracelet that will no doubt help them feel loved.
- Try a New Activity
Sharing an experience with your kids is one of the best ways to connect. During the activity, you can laugh, play, and let go of the stress of everyday life. The activity you choose should be something that everyone is interested in. This could be mini-golfing, bowling, water skiing, or even cooking. Try a new activity each month to keep everyone excited for something new.
- Go On Vacation
If you can’t remember the last time you went on vacation as a family, then it might be time to plan one. Going out of town will allow everyone to relax together and share memories as a family. If you want to do something truly memorable, you may want to experience a transatlantic cruise. A trip like this can take your family all over the world so everyone can have a chance to see different places together.
- Play a Game
Family game night is one of the best ways to bond with your children and help them open up. Even if you play a simple board game every Friday night, you’ll find that this helps keep your entire family connected quite well. With endless games to choose from, you can try something new every week and encourage your kids to find one they want to play as well.
- Cook Together
Cooking is a great way to learn how to work together, even if you’re making something simple. What’s even better is that this can give you time to talk without putting a lot of pressure on a deep conversation. Try making something fun to get your kids excited, even if it’s cupcakes from a box. As you make new things, your relationship will strengthen and you can enjoy spending that extra special time together.
- Take a Walk
One of the simplest things you can do with your kids is to take a walk around the neighborhood. This will give everyone some healthy exercise while also providing quiet time to talk and just enjoy each other’s company. The walk doesn’t even have to be long; a 10 or 15-minute walk is generally enough time to communicate and work on strengthening your relationship.
- Start a Project
Take a moment to think about what your kids are interested in. Take that interest and turn it into a project that you can both work on together. For example, you could try to make a doghouse for the family dog or you could plant a garden in the backyard. Since these types of projects require working together and can take several weeks, they are perfect for families to do together. What’s even better is that the final result can give your child a lot of pride that helps strengthen their work ethic.
- Ask Questions
It’s important to take a few minutes to ask your child about their day. However, you don’t want to make this feel like an interrogation. Stick with simple questions that are open-ended, such as what their favorite part of the day was. Or, you can ask if something crazy happened while they were at school. Even if you don’t get much, you’ll still be touching base and letting them know that you care.
A Cherished Relationship
Every parent cares about their relationship with their kids, although it can be difficult to sustain a strong bond as they grow older. With the tips above, this task can be made much easier. From going on a fun vacation to trying a new activity, every change will be a step in the right direction.
