Play with your children

Lego city

We forget that our children are people, with minds and thoughts of their own. They feel lonely too and want to interact with others, just like we do.

Spend time with them, find out about and take an interest in what they like to do. I don't particularly like playing Lego with my children, it's kind of tedious to me, however, my children enjoy it and I like to watch them play.

They'll ask if I want to join them, or sometimes I'll come in and play of my own accord, while also putting neglected bits of Lego away (you can take the mother out of the tidy-upperer but you can't take the tidy-uperer out of the mum).

My child and I worked on a Lego botanical gardens (see pic) with flowers and trees, lamps and seats, slides and climbing things. Plus a pavilion for people to enjoy the shade and picnic.

It took some time and we worked together, talking, telling stories, sharing ideas.

If your children do things you can't join them in, or don't want to, i.e. computer games etc. find another interest or topic of conversation. One of my children loves airplanes, which is of no particular interest to me (I know so little), still I talk with them about what they know.

This makes my child feel like they matter, like their interests matter (which they do), like they're a part of the community/family and we enjoy their company. This is especially helpful when dealing with teenagers who like to spend all their time in their bedrooms.

How do you like to spend time with your children?