7 Ways to Reconnect With Your Kids |

Life can get busy. When our to-do lists get full, sometimes family time suffers. Here are seven tips to put family first and reconnect with your kids.

By Nicole Walters, Contributing Writer

My three-year-old has behavioral reactions sometimes from her allergens. On days when she’s been exposed, what she needs for me to do is set aside my to-do list and focus on her.

But between the “musts” on the to-do list, her two brothers, and my being somewhat stubborn about my to-do list, I sometimes fail at this. When I realize this, usually in the middle of a lot of tears on her part and frustration on mine, and often near bedtime, I try to make a plan to re-connect with her the next day.

I want to give her what she needed from me that day and to help us restore our relationship. I want to have the relationship where we sit and talk over hot tea or cocoa when she’s a teenager. I believe that starts now when she is three-years-old.

It starts by connecting with her now and keeping a strong relationship so she always can share anything with me, even if anything right now is just whining and crying sometimes. It’s still her communicating and I need to listen. When I’ve failed at that after a hard day, we have to work to reconnect.

Here are 7 Good Ways to Reconnect

1. Share hot chocolate or hot tea (make it warm for little ones) – even when they are little a warm drink at the table can be good bonding time and set a great habit for bonding with them as they grow older.

2. Blanket fort – I find that hiding under a blanket covered table gets rid of all other distractions – I can’t see the messy kitchen or the unfolded laundry. It forces me to be completely present with my children.

3. Roughhousing – we roll around and play and jump and hug. While doing this we giggle and get out energy and work together. There are lots of hugs, kisses, and physical contact which are certainly key elements to bonding.

4. Reading together – it’s a journey into the imagination, what could help more with re-connection than a journey like that? It’s also good snuggling time.

5. Cook together – cooking, measuring, and tasting are always a great way to bond with kids. It can be something easy, something sweet, or just dinner.

6. Snuggle up with a favorite movie – this is especially my favorite if the hard day is from allergy exposure since she’s usually not feeling too good. It’s tv which many people will argue against, but sometimes for us snuggling up with a blanket and movie is just what we need.

7. Get outside – some fresh vitamin D can help everyone’s mood.