Time is Love

Do you know why kids cry when you leave them alone, or leave them with someone else e.g. your babysitter, maid or nursery no matter how used they are to this routine? My 14-month old daughter is content, just playing around me when I sit down to watch tv. Oh, she runs around, go make a mess here and there, but she’ll always come back to me. She always wants to be picked up, she always wants me to hold her hand, she follows me around practically everywhere. Why?

Because to children, time is love. The more time you spend with your children, the more they’ll love you. Guaranteed.

Your kids will be kids only once. Sure, they cry a lot, want your attention all the time, fight with their siblings to get your attention, make messes faster than you can clean them up and practically tear down the whole house. But remember, they’ll grow up and go to school, become teenagers, then become young adults. Before you know it, they’ll be leaving your home for college, a job in another city, to get married and finally, settle down in their own nest. All you have left are some baby photos and you wonder, where have all the years gone by?

A very busy, hardworking colleague once told me, “It’s like she grew up before my eyes. I wake up from my work slumber and there she is, all grown up.”

Don’t let this happen to you! Imagine if someone asks your children, “What were your favorite moments with your mom/dad when you were young?” Your kid hesitates and answers, “I don’t know, they were never home.” Spend time with your children every day, no matter how busy you are. Even for five or ten minutes daily before she goes to bed.

Go out and fly kites. Go swimming, run or have picnics in the park. Go to shopping malls, libraries, museums, zoos, beaches. Or stay home and cook together. Have a family movie night. Play games, make some craft, read together. There are so many things you could do as a family.

I’ve read, compiled from other sources and tried some of these activities myself. Also, I’ve included information on child development for your reading pleasure so you know why it’s important to take some time and play with your kids. Besides having fun, I try to incorporate some kind of learning in every possible activity, so kids would know that learning doesn’t have to be boring, it can be fun! Some activity ideas in here are so basic; you must have done it with your baby at some point in her life. But don’t take my word for it, try them out yourselves. Spend a stash of money or keep it low budget, take your pick. Now, turn that tv off and go and have fun!