Building a relationship with your child is the best gift you can give them. Children, after all, are blessings. It doesn’t always feel like that – especially when our two-year-old is throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of Target, or when our 16-year old is arguing about the clothes they are wearing when you want them to dress a little more conservatively. But, children really are a gift. It is important we build a solid relationship with our children at a very young age, so our children feel comfortable and confident coming to us not just during the good times, but also during times of trouble and distress.
How To Build A Relationship With A Kid
To build a relationship with your son or daughter, start young. Start with small steps, and work your way up to bigger, better things. Here are a few things you can try early on:
When your children are small, show them affection often. Touch is very important to babies and small children. It conveys love and affection. When children lack hugs for example, they feel rejected and abandoned. Respond to a crying child as fast as you can and reassure you that you love them. This is not to say you should never discipline your child, or that you should baby them, but remind them that you still love them no matter what is going on.
Allow your child to engage you in creative play, and play with them, so you don’t squash their zeal for life. Children whose spirits are allowed to blossom end up being the happiest children later in life. Play games with your children that encourage them to use their imagination. Color with your children. Read to your children. Invite your children on a date once a month, so you have time to spend quality time with your children.
Do this even as your children get older, so your children recognize that you are still important in their life no matter how old they get or how much time passes. Limit the amount of time your children spend in front of the television alone, insist on eating meals together, and hang out with them doing things they want to do even when you’re not thrilled about the activity.
Try to plan at least one family vacation each year, even if it is just for a weekend when you all share time together. With the ongoing travel issues due to Coronavirus, this may not be as easy, but you can still do some things. Think staycations on the beach, visits to the park, or you could even create a vacation at home with themed meals and making crafts/playing games/watching movies related to a destination. Create family traditions, even if they are only holiday traditions, like baking peppermint cookies at Christmas, because these will leave lasting memories in your children when they grow up and move away from home.
Building relationships with your children doesn’t have to be difficult. It just requires a little love and a little effort on your part. The work is worth the effort.
Hammond Psychology and Associates is the go-to resource for residents seeking psychological evaluations from a licensed psychologist in the Tampa Bay area. Click here to learn more about our Psychological Testing services in our Brandon location.