17 Habits To Strengthen Your Relationship With Your Children

Part of your job as a mother or father is leading your children and helping them in their everyday lives. This also means setting limits, correcting their behavior, saying no – teaching them what to do and what not to do. However, your relationship with your children is so much more than that.

Raising children is much more than leading them on the path you think is right. Positive interactions with your children should encourage their emotional growth and improve the learning process. They also make your “work” easier. The following suggestions may seem insignificant, almost like a waste of time, but we promise you they are not.

You probably already know the importance of hugging your children. Virginia Satir said it takes four hugs a day to survive, eight hugs a day to stay where they are, and twelve hugs a day to grow. Many, many authors have written about this same idea.

But can hugs compensate for what is not going well? Because let’s be honest, everyone has bad days with their children. There will always be negatively charged moments that you cannot avoid or control.

So let’s take a look at how you can tilt the scales to the healthy side.

Positive interactions for a healthy relationship with your children

Like all of us, you long for intimate moments with your children, for those times when your heart simply melts away. These moments of connection are just as important to you as a parent as they are to the children. When your relationship is strong, it pays to make all the sacrifices of bringing up children because then it enriches both of you.

Incidentally, that is the only reason why children voluntarily obey rules. Children who feel strongly connected to you as a parent want to cooperate. When they can trust that you are understanding and on their side, they will be motivated to follow your example and learn from you.

It is now a matter of maintaining this will, despite tensions and conflicts that must necessarily be overcome. Research on the topic shows that you and your children should offset every negative encounter during the day with at least five positive interactions. This balance enables a healthy and happy relationship that can withstand the problems of everyday life.

If you don’t create enough positive moments, you will lose that balance and then your children will resist your advice. If the balance is upset, your children’s attitudes towards you and your example will change: They will not obey your rules, they will not want to accept them.

But you’re so busy and so busy … How are you going to find the time to have these positive interactions with your kids? How can you restore this important balance?

Habits that strengthen relationships with your children

There are many things you can do to strengthen your relationship with your children. The key to the effectiveness of these positive experiences is that they happen every day. That is why it is so important to integrate these types of encounters into everyday life.

The best part about implementing these ideas is that you’re not just compensating for the bad times. You will make your whole day more enjoyable for both parties. By focusing on positive interactions, you leave less room for negative realities. Additionally, if you develop these types of habits, your children will be more cooperative, arguing less, and trying harder to obey.

1. – Enjoy a few moments with your children every morning. You don’t have to talk; it is enough to cuddle. Hug her, caress her. Waking up this way is the best way to start the day.

2. – Talk to your children during breakfast. Ask them what they are up to that day. Be interested in their answers and listen.

3. – Leave them messages of love. You can put a note in her lunch box, between the pages of her notebooks, or on her desk.

4. – Sing and / or dance with your children to their favorite songs.

5. – Always say goodbye with a hug and a kiss. Tell them to have a nice day and remind them to have fun.

6. – Always greet your children with a hug and a kiss. Show interest in their school day or whatever activity they are engaged in.

7. – Don’t do work-related things when you are with your children. This includes calls, emails, social media, and instant messages, among others.

8. – Tantrums are usually a sign of fear. Children don’t have tantrums to challenge you. When this happens, relax and let go of what you are doing to help your children. Help them let go of their anger. Be there when they try to regulate their emotions. When they’re ready, encourage them to talk. It is your job to listen here too.

9. – Be encouraging when your children are faced with a difficult task. Pay attention to their fears and offer them encouraging words and kind gestures.

10. Laugh at your jokes, as silly as they may seem. If their jokes are disrespectful or inappropriate, politely but firmly tell them that they are not funny.

11. – Show empathy for all of your children’s emotions. You can limit their actions, but not their emotions. All emotions are acceptable. Realizing how your children are feeling will strengthen your connection with them and nourish their emotional intelligence.

12. – Try to find moments every day to play with them no matter what they want to play. Let their imagination run wild and follow their instructions. It doesn’t matter if the game doesn’t last very long. The most important thing is that it happens every day. Also, make sure it fits into your children’s routine.

13. – Eat at least one meal a day with your children. Do not turn on the television while doing this. Instead, encourage them to talk by asking a question that your children find interesting.

14. – Listen with compassion. Be careful when they tell you about the problems they have in school or around the world, especially when it comes to their friends or someone they like. Listening is one of the most important habits you should have in order to strengthen your relationship with your children.

15. Read or sing a song with your children before bed. If they are too old to do this, encourage them to read before bed and show an interest in the book they are reading.

16. Kiss your children goodnight. If they want to talk, listen. If you are worried about something, having it off your mind first will help you fall asleep.

17. Look after your children to make sure they are okay before you go to bed. Even if they don’t notice you are doing it, it will strengthen your bond.

“Sometimes I check on our sleeping children before I go to bed. I watch their disheveled heads slumber on their pillows and sadness wells up inside me. Did I drink of her smiles and laughter and hug her, or was I just doing things off my to-do list today? You grow so fast. Maybe one morning I’ll wake up and one of my girls is getting married, and I’ll worry: have I played with them enough? Did I take the opportunity to be a part of your life? “

Janet Fackrell

Time flies too fast. Don’t miss your chance to develop strong bonds with your children!