How To Be A Parent That Balances Quality Time With Children And Doing Household Chores

Parents need to spend quality time with children. But the question is how. With all the work, household chores even home improvement tasks, the 24 hours a day seems in sufficient. Learning how to be a parent requires that you balance your time. As such, time management is an indispensable skill for parents.

One surefire way of spending quality time with children and the family is to do things together. Here are some great ways to turn household chores and home improvement tasks into quality time with family members. These parenting survival tips can help you.

One creative and productive way to spend quality time with your children is to cook together. Children, especially the younger ones enjoy using their hands. So what better way to use them than to create something that they can sink their teeth into later? Definitely it does not have to be a gourmet dish. Rather, try no bake recipes using simple and easy to find ingredients. As your children grow older (and if they show aptitude for it), increase the complexity of the recipe choices a little at a time. Quick desserts, sandwiches, salads, instant jellies are great cooking ideas. So put on your apron and spend quality time with children in the kitchen.

Reminders:

· Makes sure everyone washes their hands before and after cooking. Sometime, in between steps require washing of hands as well.

· Wear aprons and other safety and sanitary clothing

· Clean as you go. It pays to have the habit of clearing out unused items on the table.

· Prepare all materials and ingredients before you start.

Concepts and skills they can learn:

· Science – states of matter, textures, hot vs. cold, concept of time, ingredients like fruits, flour

· Math – units of measure, numbers

· Physical – stirring, mixing, grasping and holding

· Language – reading instructions and recipes, reading labels

Another way to spend quality time with your children is to clean together. Of course you don’t expose your kids to hazardous chemicals or any back-breaking task. Instead, focus on your children’s belongings. You can turn this usually drab and irritating chore into a fun experience. Ask your children to pack away their toys by following certain rules. Pick up certain shapes and colors, type of toy, big or small materials etc. Moreover, you can tell your child to pack away toys starting with a particular letter. The whole idea is to make the task a learning and fun experience.

Cleaning together is an example of how to manage time while spending it with your children. All it needs is your creativity.

Reminders:

· Varying your packing away strategies – color, shape, toy type, first letter, etc. will ensure that you child does not get bored.

· Praise your child for doing a wonderful job

· You can ask your child to pack away his/her toys based on his preference.

· Do this regularly so that packing away becomes a habit.

· Wear masks when sweeping or dusting to avoid allergies.

Concepts and skills they can learn:

· Science – types of materials like plastic, cloth

· Math – number, shapes, sequence, sizes

· Physical – throwing, lifting, grabbing, picking up things

· Language – identifying colors, names of objects, initial sounds of objects

· Social: importance of being clean, helping each other

Weekends may be your only time to spend time with your family. One way to spend quality time with family members is to get your hands dirty. The mess adds to the fun of gardening! Depending on the season, you can plant flowers, trim the hedges, till the soil, rake the leaves and so on. By giving small tasks to your children you actually foster confidence in them. In fact, it is a good idea to give your children responsibility to take care of a particular plant – preferably the one they planted. So don’t be afraid to get their hands dirty – literally. It can be fun for you and your children.

Reminders:

· Be mindful of the sharp and pointed gardening tools.

· Set rules for the children to follow.

· Remember to clean up afterwards – a good scrub down after gardening is a good idea.

Concepts and skills they can learn

· Science – plant parts, life cycle of plants, seasons, animals found at home

· Math – numbers and quantities

· Physical skills – digging, carrying objects

· Social: following rules, taking turns, being responsible

Time management is a great skill for parents. This comes in handy when you need to fix something at home. But instead of simply doing it yourself, you can employ the help of your whole family. This is a great way to spend quality time with family members. Of course, choose simple tasks for your children. Handing over tools safe to handle is one. Also, painting jobs can be equally satisfying for your children. In addition, gluing and pasting activities are simple enough for your children to accomplish. From home improvement to patching up broken toys, fixing things can be a great learning experience for children.

Reminders:

· Set limits to what the child can use

· Make sure you use child-friendly materials like non-toxic paints and adhesives

· Pack away all tools and materials properly

Concepts and skills they can learn:

· Science: how things work, different tools and how to use them

· Physical skills – proper way of handling tools,

· Language – names of tools, parts of objects

An alternative to spend quality time with family members is to give the pets a bath. Allow your children to put shampoo, lather up the pet, rinse, towel dry and brush the pet. You can also show your children how to trim your pet’s nails. Obviously the tasks you can assign your kids depends on what pet that you have.

Cleaning the aquarium or terrarium is an alternative you can consider. You can even have your children accompany you to the pet store to get supplies. Owning a pet is an added task. But if you have children, they can share in the responsibility of taking care of your pets.

Reminders:

· Always ensure the safety of your children – if you need to hold down the dog do so your children will not get harmed.

· Make sure you use mild shampoo that your kids can handle.

· Have them wear gloves or other protective clothing when handling pets.

· Choose pets that are safe with children. Ideally, get pets that are easy to handle and keep.

Concepts and skills that they can learn:

· Science – part of the body, how to take care of pets

· Math – quantity

· Social – responsibility in taking care of animals

Parents need to learn how to manage time. Moreover, the importance of spending time with your children cannot be overstressed. Know how to be a parent that can balance quality time with children and doing household chores. So whenever you can, create family time by turning household chores or home improvement tasks into bonding and learning moments.