At one point in our life, my husband and I knew that we should be spending more time with our kids. We would alot a day but then we don’t know what to do? So we have baked together, we have done chores together, but there are still plenty of time left.
If you’re on the same boat, here are some things that I have found very effective in spending time with kids:
- Read the Bible with them. Well, it is the greatest book written after all. So that it is important that we provide virtues to our kids by reading Bible with them on a regular basis. But what to read? Try this everyday: 1 chapter of Psalm, 1 chapter of Proverbs, 1 old testament story, 1 new testament story. Off course don’t forget relevant occasions and gear your reading towards it (e.g., Christmas Story during Christmas, Death and Resurrection during Resurrection Sunday, etc).
- Read a book with them and discuss it. We homeschool so we have tons of book to read but try reading a book that are short but with some lessons to learn. We like the Fable books, books about virtue, etc.
- Walk with them, holding hands. If possible, one kid at a time and impart to them wisdom. Talk about good memories of your childhood. Talk about memories that gave you lessons.
- Tell stories about funny things they did when they were younger. It’s really a hit and they would like to talk about it over and over again.
- Lego! Put something together. A dream house. A dream car. A dream vacation.
- Play classic games. Bring out four up, chess, dominoes, monopoly, ticket to ride, checkers, tic-tac-toe. The last one is a hit when I told them about the power of corners.
- Build something from recyclables. Let kids think.They are creative than you think.
- Pretend play: a mini-store (and let them be the owner and you’re the customer), a school (let them be the teacher and you’re the student).
- Get those science books and perform experiments. Christian Sources: https://www.apologia.com (search for kits).
- Listen to audio books. There are tons of it that you can borrow from the library.
- Make origami together, and keep doing the same pattern until they no longer need to see the directions! They get a skill that they could pass on later.
One thing for sure, turn off the TV, and take away gadgets. Get them bored first as an appetizer, then introduce activities, and let those creativity come out.
The Learning Story 