With the kickoff of the new school year officially underway I thought it would be fun to kick it off with a brand new series of posts to help families get a head start on the season with a new lease on life- and offer some tools to help them kick start it! First up– 3 Tips to Be Present When You Are With Your Kids
Of course I’m Also REALISTIC. And as I head into my 45th year on this glorious planet of ours I am learning that plans and goals are just that; they’re not set in stone; they’re ephemeral and simply fabricated to keep every single one of us from laying in bed all day binge watching Netflix (not that there’s ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT IN SMALL DOSES!) .
Therefore if you break them, life will undoubtedly continue and give you another shot at achieving them. I hope you’ll join me on my journey to help ourselves and our kids -live our best lives…So wise parents.. in this post we are tackling BEING PRESENT. Keep reading for my 3 Tips to Be Present When You Are With Your Kids! And I hope you will join me on this journey to being a more present and happier person and parent this fall season!
#1 UNPLUG. Before you break out in a cold sweat I say try to unplug in baby steps. Do it in 30 minute increments. Take 30 minutes away from all devices while you are with your child; eating, playing, or just being. It was a revelation to me how much my usually reserved 17 year old daughter had to say once I SHUT off my phone.
#2 Engage in an activity that will Actually hold your interest. If you are not a puzzle person, but you can rock a game of checkers like no one’s business convince your kid that the latter would be a better activity to pursue. If you are engaged and interested – then you will DEFINITELY remain in the present moment ( and not let your kid BEAT YOU!)
#3 Remind yourself that this time is precious and those dishes, emails, and texts can wait. But your kids, that window of opportunity to get to know them- and for them to really get to know you before they’re at an age and stage where you are no longer COOL to hang out with is FLEETING. So grab those precious moments and hold on tight.
What are some things you’ve done to stay present when you are with your kids?
Put down the social media and focus on your kids. If we aren’t pay attention to them when they are talking or need us what are we teaching them.
No, one is promised tomorrow and life can change in the blink of an eye and I can tell you this from experience. Always make time for your children no, matter how many times they have told you something set everything aside and sit down with them and listen to them. Because one day they will be grown and may not have time to talk to you.
We shall see how this goes for me. As someone who works from home on the computer/social media for a living, it will be an adjustment!
I am a big proponent of this! Dinner time we do not have electronics at the table. I much rather hear about my kiddos day than what facebook is telling me to look at. I savor every minute I get with my kiddo.
I really enjoyed your post. Thanks for the tips. One of our rules is not allowing phones in the area during dinning times, even when we’re at restaurants.
This time is precious! It is so fleeting, here one moment, gone the next. I remember feeling shell shocked when we left our daughter at college.
I put down the phone and computer and go prepare meals with the kids or take them outside to play. It doesn’t have to be big things to give them attention.
I try to look them in the eye when they are talking and not be on a device. Vacation time is my favorite because I absolutely unplug.
It really doesn’t get more important than staying in the now, especially with family. Your three ideas are absolutely must-do’s to achieve this as much as possible.
Every now and then I have to unplug. I turn my phone to silent from Friday night to Sunday. It helps to keep me grounded and be in the now with my husband and kids.
Excellent message. With so many devices and things we enjoy doing, it’s fulfilling to enjoy the moment and be in the now. Thanks for this.
I couldn’t agree more. I recently made a choice to unplug. It’s been great. These are good tips.
Such great tips! I remember people saying how quickly my kids’ childhood would fly by, and they weren’t kidding! Seems like they were born yesterday, and my oldest is now 9! We love, love, love playing board games together, and that seems like a great way to interact. Also, taking walks or hiking seems to be a time when my son feels more free to talk.
Life is now! I love this quote! We need to live the Present. But it’s so difficult. We are used to live often the past and future. But the present moment is so beautiful!
Effective communication is a skill and one our kids learn from us. We must lead by example. For us, it’s usually mealtimes when we can get together to chat about the day. That means listening AND sharing.
I give them my full attention when they have a question or concern. That means putting down my book or phone and walking away from the computer. I also try to do activities that they are really interested in as well as introduce them to things I like.
Yes life happens when you look at smart phone. So there is no phone in our house during dinner and lunch. And both my kids are small so they don’t have any phone. But they have ipad which is also not possible use during weekdays. thank for all the tips.
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