Do you have a child with a different personality type? Does your child possess personality traits that are unfamiliar to you? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you likely wonder how you can genuinely strengthen your relationship with your child. This blog post offers strategies for new ways to connect with your children.
Get on Your Child’s Level:
Begin by engaging in play that is of particular interest to your child. For instance, some children absolutely love games that involve movement. These games could include Marco Polo or tag. Not only do they target draining your child’s energy level, but they will positively influence your child’s mood and attitude. It might not be your favorite game, but the giggles you hear as they dart around you are genuine.
Perhaps your child would rather engage in artistic activities. Dedicating time to making friendship bracelets, painting pottery, or making creations out of wiki sticks would be awesome activities for these children. Maybe your child loves to read. Picking up a new or favorite novel and reading it together would be incredible to this child. No matter what your child’s interest is, when you get on their level to play, you will notice a deeper connection, all thanks to your positive interactions with them.
Channel Your Inner Child:
Shifting your adult mindset to a child-like one, which will more closely resemble your child’s mindset, will also help you connect with your child. Obviously, it is not feasible to participate in this mindset 24/7, but finding time to act, play, and think like a child will greatly impact your parent-child relationship. Why is playing with your child important? Whether we realize it or not, we constantly communicate with our children, and we tend to think of communication as verbal. However, communication occurs non-verbally, too, and can be communicated through facial expressions, behaviors, and actions. Thus, playing with your child communicates to them that they are special and important. It also communicates that you genuinely enjoy spending time with them.
Slow Down:
In our society, life tends to get hectic. To adults, time flies! However, children conceptualize time very differently than adults. Children process and absorb a plethora of new information each and every day. Their little brains are essentially working overtime to process and ultimately make sense of their environment each day. For example, have you ever walked your child into school and they suddenly notice something? The object might be something like an insect or a small rock. To you, that object is unimportant, but to your child, it serves as a learning opportunity to grow their ever-growing world. Slowing down to offer your child an extra few moments of your time and attention will help you connect in those little moments.
While this is not an exhaustive list of ways you could potentially connect with your child, it serves as a start. If you are overwhelmed with where to begin, a short list of areas to target will likely lead to greater success. My recommendation is to start small and work your way up. Perhaps this list is too much for you to consider. Choose one to work on first. For example, dedicate time to participate in activities that your child deeply enjoys. Once you feel more confident, channel your inner child to play like a kid again. It’s worth it!
Resources:
https://www.positiveparentingsolutions.com/parenting/connect-with-your-child
Get on Your Child’s Level:
Begin by engaging in play that is of particular interest to your child. For instance, some children absolutely love games that involve movement. These games could include Marco Polo or tag. Not only do they target draining your child’s energy level, but they will positively influence your child’s mood and attitude. It might not be your favorite game, but the giggles you hear as they dart around you are genuine.
Perhaps your child would rather engage in artistic activities. Dedicating time to making friendship bracelets, painting pottery, or making creations out of wiki sticks would be awesome activities for these children. Maybe your child loves to read. Picking up a new or favorite novel and reading it together would be incredible to this child. No matter what your child’s interest is, when you get on their level to play, you will notice a deeper connection, all thanks to your positive interactions with them.
Channel Your Inner Child:
Shifting your adult mindset to a child-like one, which will more closely resemble your child’s mindset, will also help you connect with your child. Obviously, it is not feasible to participate in this mindset 24/7, but finding time to act, play, and think like a child will greatly impact your parent-child relationship. Why is playing with your child important? Whether we realize it or not, we constantly communicate with our children, and we tend to think of communication as verbal. However, communication occurs non-verbally, too, and can be communicated through facial expressions, behaviors, and actions. Thus, playing with your child communicates to them that they are special and important. It also communicates that you genuinely enjoy spending time with them.
Slow Down:
In our society, life tends to get hectic. To adults, time flies! However, children conceptualize time very differently than adults. Children process and absorb a plethora of new information each and every day. Their little brains are essentially working overtime to process and ultimately make sense of their environment each day. For example, have you ever walked your child into school and they suddenly notice something? The object might be something like an insect or a small rock. To you, that object is unimportant, but to your child, it serves as a learning opportunity to grow their ever-growing world. Slowing down to offer your child an extra few moments of your time and attention will help you connect in those little moments.
While this is not an exhaustive list of ways you could potentially connect with your child, it serves as a start. If you are overwhelmed with where to begin, a short list of areas to target will likely lead to greater success. My recommendation is to start small and work your way up. Perhaps this list is too much for you to consider. Choose one to work on first. For example, dedicate time to participate in activities that your child deeply enjoys. Once you feel more confident, channel your inner child to play like a kid again. It’s worth it!
Resources:
https://www.positiveparentingsolutions.com/parenting/connect-with-your-child
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