Are you a caring parent who is willing to go the extra mile for the welfare of your child? Have you ever wondered whether your busy lifestyle is affecting their normal upbringing? Pause for a moment and think how children feel and what kind of mental state they are suffering from. Children are very innocent at heart and so if they want to play or want to know something related to their education you shouldn’t ignore them or show your displeasure even though you may be tired, because such behavior hurts them. As a parent you must know how important it is for you to get involved in your children’s education as it increases their chances of success considerably.
As per a survey done by researchers from the Institute for Social and Economic Research, the affect of being a full-time working mother or dad on a kid’s education is the same as growing up in a single-parent family. Research shows that a child’s potential to do well at exams come down by 20% in cases where the mother returns to work. Such children (age 5-10) whose mothers are busy with their work do worse at school and suffer from mental stress compared to those youngsters whose mothers stay at home to bring them up and help them in their studies.
The study showed that during the 1970s and early 1980s, average mothers worked full-time for 18 months before the child was five. Almost two third of their kids i.e. approximately 64% of them achieved at least one A-level or equal qualification. It was seen that for mothers who worked for 30 months and over before their kid was five, only 52% of the children achieved one A-level pass.
However, compared to the earlier periods the working parents of today are more affected by feelings of guilt. A new study says that around 42% of parents that participated in the study were unhappy that they couldn’t fulfill their role as ideal parents during the week days. The research also shows that it is the quality of your involvement and not the quantity that counts. For example you may spend hours with your child but it will serve no useful purpose if you remain aloof to its desires and needs for emotional connect. So don’t be with the child just for the heck of it while you play away at your mobile phone or whatsoever. Make your child the center of your focus.
Research says that children of parents who are more involved in their kid’s education and other extracurricular activities tend to be more intelligent and active. So, it’s very essential to support and guide your children whether it’s for education, games or teaching them good and bad habits. No matter how busy you are with your daily work schedule, there are plenty of things that you can do for your children during your free time.
Here are some ideas for busy parents to get their children a little more outdoor time without causing your head and busy schedule to burst out!
Put on a happy face
By the time you reach home after a tiring day at the office, your entire body may be hurting but still when your kids come running to you and share all his/her activities that he/she did in school, you should put on a smile and meet their expectations so that they feel you are their best friend. But, if you put them away and ask them to come later then their joy in having you around might disappear.
Don’t brush off your child’s concerns
Make your children understand that you are always available to talk with them and share whatever is disturbing them. If you brush aside the feeling of your kid or try to ignore it, the child will keep his feelings inside and never express it to you. So, be a good listener as it can be very helpful in dealing with children.
Plan family time
Though, you might be having a busy life during the week days, try to take out some time from your busy schedule and plan unique activities to enjoy with your kids like games, bike ride, or do some creative activities. You may also take your child to shopping malls or water parks, where they can spend time with you.
Hold family meetings weekly
Kids feel very special if they are taken seriously and their ideas are praised. Your children may help you to make morning and bedtime routines and come up with creative ways to manage chores. It’s very exciting to see how children are more willing to follow the plans and rules created by them. Such meetings can also help children learn how to solve problems and be cooperative. They get the chance to put forward their problems in family meetings so that the parent can solve it and make them understand in a proper way.
Lead family discussions with children
Dinnertime is the perfect time for your family to have discussions about the latest news, topics, and new stories. Parents may also discuss about science education so that children can gain some knowledge and interact more with parents. In this way, busy parents can guide their children and be their idol.
Instead of sidelining your children, ask them whether they can help you
Kids are very innocent creatures who always hanker after their parents’ love and attention. So, it makes them feel special when parents ask for their help instead of lecturing and scolding them. Ask for their help in a polite manner instead of asking for it rudely or harshly, as they feel they are being scolded and brought down. Like, if you find your child’s room dirty or things are kept here and there then ask him/her to help you in making it clean instead of scolding him or her for making it dirty.
Get new clothes for your kid and make them glad
Are you too busy with your office work and responsibilities? Does your child ask to go out for shopping? No worry, you no more have to say your child ‘NO’ as if you can’t go shopping with them, search online and get the colorful clothes for them. Why to roam here and there around the streets when you can easily get a huge variety from the comfort of your home? All you need to do is to steal some time from your busy schedule and do online shopping for kid’s clothing. There are plenty of online shopping store for children where you may get huge collection in vibrant designs and colors. In this way you can shop the perfect clothes for your child by saving your time and money as well. So, buy trendy clothes for your kids online and make them realize how special they are for you.
Outings on weekends
Weekends are generally busy as you have lots of things to do at home but you can finish it off quickly and plan an outdoor adventure for the joy of your child as it could add fun and rejuvenate you and your child’s mind. You can also take the family to nearby Local Park for a picnic and meals together. After all, it’s always good to have family get together to talk and relish various outdoor activities.
Be a good companion for your kid
No matter how busy you are, the most important thing is to build a strong relationship with your kid. Though, you can’t spare sufficient time for them, but whenever you are free like at night, during breakfast time, etc., show your interest and talk to your child as if you are his/her good friend. Never show them anger if they talk any wrong things, and try to teach them about moral values or ‘what is wrong’ and ‘what is right’, so that they can know the difference between right and wrong. In this way, they will never try to hide anything and as a good companion they will share each and every thing with you. After all, a fruitful relationship between parents and children is very necessary to make a healthy family life.
Green time co-ops
If you know some impossibly-busy parents who may like to unite with you for making sure that your kids play or engage in outdoor activities, you may form a green time co-op in which each parent can take turns to take an hour off from their work in a week to look after the child while they play.
Make them learn from you
Parents do feel guilty when they cannot give time to their children due to their busy schedule. But looking at it the other way, it can be helpful for parents like you as you can set an example for your children with your hard work. As children see their parents working hard at a job and handling plenty of responsibility, they can also learn about the responsibility and work for an aim. Discussing the same with your child may improve their learning ability.
So, it is advisable for every busy parent to try the above suggestions for their child’s unhindered growth and also to become their idol.
Featured photo credit: Spotonlists via spotonlists.com
