Working moms, entrepreneur moms, and military moms, what do they have in common?
These mothers have barely enough time to do anything more, so be with their kids.
By the time they’re home, their kids are all ready for bed, and during the weekend, they’re either too tired or too overwhelmed to move.
But you can still have fun without trying too much. Here are five easy bonding activities for kids and moms to do together.
Read A Book Before Bedtime (Or Anytime)
Before the internet and before tablets and smartphones were popular, children used to beg their parents to read to them before bedtime.
You can revive this lovely bonding activity and limit your kids’ screen time.
Have them pick out a real book, any book, and you read to them a story in the book.
Make this pre-bedtime activity special by reading to them in bed or sitting near them.
Don’t just read from the book, but read from your mind and your heart, be creative!
Use sound effects, use different voices for each character, or turn off the lights and use flashlights to read.
With this activity, you can relax and prepare for bed as well. Your kids will want you to do this night after night.
Watch Their Favorite Shows
Let’s face it, we can’t ban TV or the internet from our kids, but you can be part of their favorite shows by taking an interest in them.
If she’s interested in Pokemon, then show your interest too by getting to know different characters, Pokemon monsters, the various Pokemon evolutions, and more.
If she wants to go hunting for Pokemon, come with her and capture your own monsters as well.
Join her in Pokemon events, in cosplay events, or when shopping for stuff related to her favorite characters.
Have A Board Game Marathon
When it’s too hot or too cold outside, bring out all your old board games and have a game night marathon.
Start with easy games and those that they are familiar with.
Then, move to other unfamiliar titles and instructions. Board games teach kids different skills like counting, creating their own strategies, and more.
Take Monopoly, for instance, this game allows the entire family to play, will teach kids the value of money, how to count, and how to make critical decisions.
Meanwhile, card games like Uno will inform them about strategy, decision making, and camaraderie.
Unique games like Jenga help your child develop his problem-solving skills, plus its total fun with the whole family.
And aside from being fun, these games limit your children’s screen time as well.
Play Silly Games And Activities
Even busy moms can be silly too!
You can play go fish in the pool wearing your bathing suits and on inflatable floating beds.
Going on an errand? Take your kids with you and play carpool karaoke complete with microphone and disco lights (you can use a wireless microphone with a speaker and a portable disco lights).
And if it’s snowing outside, don’t let the cold ruin the fun.
Busy and tired moms can use the best snow shovel for bad back to help them clear off the snow.
With the snow clear, it’s safe to play all kinds of games in the snow.
You can have a snowman beauty contest, build an igloo, or a friendly snowball fight.
Record A Video Together
Because of today’s high tech gadgets, even a child of three can record videos, take selfies, and upload them online.
If your child is gadget-savvy at an early age, you can use this as an opportunity to bond with her.
How about recording a cellphone video together? Your video could be anything that interests her.
Record a day out on the beach, a day you take her to work, or simple how-to videos like how to cook her favorite food or how to train her pet dog.
Show her how to edit, add songs, special effects, and how to upload them.
You can even create a website where she can upload her videos as well.
Why Make An Effort To Bond With Your Child?
Parents should make an effort to bond with their children every chance they can get because they won’t stay small forever.
Young children who grow up with a healthy and secure relationship with their parents will have a higher chance of developing a happier and more content relationship with other people in the future.
According to experts, a child with a secure connection with his parent will learn how to regulate his emotions during stressful situations as well as in difficult situations.
And bonding with your kids does not stop when they become teenagers.
When you engage in different fun activities with your child at an early age, bonding activities become a natural part of your everyday life as a family.
And what about busy moms and moms with tight schedules?
Busy moms must make it an effort to create time to bond with their kids.
Don’t worry because all your efforts won’t be in vain. Your children will grow up loving you more and remembering the fun times you had with them.
Also, kids that are close with their moms will likely grow up being close to their kids as well.
Bonding is a win-win activity for you and your kids.