1:1 Time With Your Kids

🤳🏼Have you heard people on social media recommend spending 1:1 time with your child each day? I’m someone who recommends this! I suggest each caregiver spend 10 minutes per day of uninterrupted time with each child, as you’re able.

🔑Keys to 1:1 time🔑

〰️Just you and one child
〰️Aim for 10 minutes per day (per child)
〰️No phones, no distractions
〰️Let your child take the lead – read, play, do what they want (obviously within reason)
⭐️Play, especially, helps facilitate parental engagement, and promotes safe, stable, and nurturing relationships (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2018).

🕰If you don’t have time for daily 1:1 play time, involve them in household tasks like cooking, get outside for a quick walk, or take them on an errand

But WHY are people recommending this? What are the benefits?

👥If you have more than one child, that 1:1 time is precious not only for your child to have with you – without having to compete for your attention – but also for you to get a glimpse into their world - to get to know your child’s likes and dislikes, thoughts, and opinions. It builds your connection and trust, promotes their communication and cognitive skills, and social-emotional growth.

A couple of big bonuses:
🏆Giving your undivided attention to your child/ren for “free” (non-contingent attention - meaning, you’re not responding to specific “good” or “bad” behavior) will prevent some challenging behavior that might occur in order to get your attention. Really!

🏆If you have more than one child (and the help and ability to give each of your children 1:1 time), managing one child is often easier than 2+! 😅 Having 1:1 time will help you better appreciate each individual child and you will likely see the “best” in them (and they in you)!

This post was brought to you by @parenting_fairly. More than a toy designer, be mindful is a community of parents who are going through the process of building the best denizens of next generation.  As such we encourage and delight in our community participating in our blog and social media efforts.  Your voice will be heard across our community and who knows which kid or which parent your wisdom will enlighten!  Feel free to email us at howdy@mindful-engineering.com or submit an inquiry on our site if you have a blog post idea you want to share!