Being a busy mom with young kids can be lots of fun and challenging. Especially when you are trying to find time to spend with your little ones.
After a long day at work and taking care of the house, you find that there isn’t much time left to spend with your kids. So how do you balance and spend quality time with your kids?
Great question! I got a few mom friends to help me answer that question and share how they spend quality time with their kids.
Val | Thoughtful Neighbor
Every night, each of my 3 kids gets to pick out a book and is read to separately before bed. I still do this with my 10-year old, as well.
I love to share my love of reading and each child loves to share a new or favorite story with me or their dad.
Two of my kids love to help in the kitchen, so I make it a point to invite them to cook with me even though it takes longer. The memories and bonding are worth the extra time.
"Two of my kids love to help in the kitchen, so I make it a point to invite them to cook with me even though it takes longer. The memories and bonding are worth the extra time."
Angela | Reading Inspiration
My son and I love reading together. Sometimes we just sit together reading our own books and occasionally chatting to each other about what exciting twists or turns are happening in the story!
Other times we read out loud to each other and might even put on lively character voices. This can get quite funny and dramatic at times!
Although my son is getting older (he is now 10 years old) this is a tradition I hope we will keep up for as long as possible.
Holly | Learning Momma
My 2-year-old daughter LOVES to read books!
To spend quality time with her I love to read her some of her favorite books and pour over the illustrations with her as she learns objects, numbers, and letters.
The cuddle time while reading a book together also creates priceless memories.
Christina | Mom in the Six
On weekends I make sure that each day there is at least one activity that is dedicated to my daughter.
I find that signing up to a weekly activity helps to ensure she gets HER time.
For example, this fall we have Music Class each Saturday – it’s only an hour, but we get to dance and sing together and she LOVES it.
Other days we will visit a petting zoo or go to the park. Scheduling fun seems silly, but if you don’t, you get bogged down by household chores and grocery shopping.
"Scheduling fun seems silly, but if you don't, you get bogged down by household chores and grocery shopping."
Lauren | Honeycomb Moms
I love taking my son on trips to the library or the park.
I push him on the swings, watch as he engages with other children or just follow him as he explores bookshelves, lawns and the like.
It’s always nice to see through his eyes as he discovers new experiences.
Brenda | Paper Heart Family
I wanted to come up with a way to connect with my kids in a meaningful way each and every day, no matter how busy I am.
I created a mother-daughter journal, full of daily questions that I ask my kids.
It allows me to get to know them better and to have a keepsake for when they’re older. My kids LOVE it, and so do I.
Heather | Made in a Pinch
As a mom of 3 boys, we enjoy doing ACTIVE things together.
It helps in so many ways: it allows them to expend pent-up energy, it keeps us healthy as a family, and it helps create wonderful memories.
Plus, with boys, it seems that they verbally share more and get less aggressive when they are active. We love to do things like hiking, biking, playing sports and taking walks together!
Katelynne | The Disguised Supermom
We make eating meals together a priority and use question cards to have fun and open conversations.
We hope that this helps our kids know they can also come to talk with us.
Ingrid | Fabulous and Fun Life
Having teenage children I find a good time to have a quality conversation with them is when I am giving them a lift somewhere individually, the further the better.
They seem to open up and talk more in the car and it is here where I find out most about what is going on in their lives and any concerns or worries they may have.
Another way I spend quality time with my teens is cooking together in the kitchen. This is another location where meaningful conversation flows as we cook together.
"They seem to open up and talk more in the car and it is here where I find out most about what is going on in their lives and any concerns or worries they may have."
Joyce | Celebrate Moms Forever
Going on nature walks with my child is one of the ways I spend quality time with her.
These walks help me to bond with my child. We talk about the different things we find together and she’s good at asking a lot of questions.
I always feel close to her at the end of the day because I feel like we always learn something new from the activity, as well as from each other.
Thank you!
Thank you to all of the mothers that contributed to this amazing post!
How do you spend quality time with your little ones? Let me know in the comments.
This post is a part of the series 31 Days of Parenting Tips for Busy Moms With Young Kids. Each day throughout the series I am discussing a different topic regarding parenting young kids. I’d love for you to follow along and share this series with moms who may need some support or just to hear that they aren’t alone in their journey of raising young kids.
Find all of the posts in one place on the series homepage: 31 Days of Parenting Tips for Busy Moms With Young Kids
Thank you, Val!
Thanks for including me! You’ve compiled a lot of great ideas!