Find something in common

If you've ever watched the Super Nanny you will know that she talks to parents about spending quality time with each of your children one on one. This is probably easier if you only have one child. If you have more than one, or lots, trying to find time to spend with each of them is going to be a juggling act.

Super Nanny might disagree with me here, but I cheat a little when it comes to spending quality time with my children.  I find activities I like to do and see if my children enjoy them too. There is no point in your child wanting you to go on the wizzy dizzy with them all the time when you hate the wizzy dizzy for example. It works better, as in you're more likely to keep it up, if you both enjoy the activity. Yes?

I recommend finding something you have in common with each of your children. Each child has a different personality and enjoys different things. Maybe you have one child who would like to paint nails with you, or draw with you, colour in with you, go out for coffee and cake, ride together, take art classes, go bush walking, feed the local ducks handfuls of peas... you get the idea.

My children like dancing and singing and listening to music and spending time in the garden, they like going to the beach and building sand castles. I enjoy those things too. They also like building Lego and playing flying games and cars, not something I enjoy participating in therefore I don't do that with them.

Watch your children play, pay attention to what they enjoy and work out the things you also enjoy and could do with them. Then spend at least 30 mins each week doing one of those things with your child, having quality one on one time with each of them.