The bond between parents and children is special in many ways. Children look up to their parents for inspiration, motivation, and a lot of love and support. But sadly, with technology seeping into our lives, parents now have no time to look up from their phones to attend to their children. With this thought in mind, Vodafone has come up with an interesting campaign for this Children’s Day called #lookup which encourages parents to shush their phones for a while instead of their kids. They even launched an interesting video with a new version of A-B-Cs to drive home the point. Each alphabet in the video represents the many excuses parents give to shoo kids away so that they can continue to watch videos on their phones, click selfies, or even work extended hours. We bet you’ll easily be able to relate to some or all of the excuses that are shown in the video. Feeling guilty already? Then don’t be because there’s still time to make amends. Here are 10 things that every parent can do to bond better with their kids:
1. When They Speak, Listen To Them
Things parents often consider trivial could mean a big deal for children. Something as small as a tiff with their classmates or a fall from a bicycle is a major event in their lives and they probably wait the whole day to narrate it to you. And, when they do, listen to them with full attention. Console them. Motivate them. Let them know you are there for them always.
2. Avoid Taking Your Work Home
Keep a distinct space between your professional and personal life. Never bring your work home, especially on a Sunday. Your kids will grow up seeing you like this, and in all likelihood, they’ll follow suit when they grow. What’s the point of working so hard to give them a better life when they can’t enjoy that life with you!
3. Set Aside Some Exclusive Time
From the moment your child was born, you’d have played with him/her. Your children enjoy your company. That is why they come to you to play with. Set aside some ‘exclusive’ time with your child daily like a coloring activity, evening walk, or even some grocery shopping.
4. Be Patient With Their Questions
Your children don’t ask you questions to annoy you. They are at a learning curve where they are curious about everything and look up to you for reliable explanations. So, be patient and mindful of what and how you respond to them because they’ll carry those teachings for life!
5. Look Into Their School Activities Regularly
Checking a child’s homework shouldn’t be a mom’s prerogative. Both parents should give equal attention to enhancing their child’s learning abilities. Help your child memorize poems, monitor homework completion, and even share your own childhood snippets to make school activities more fun.
6. If You Make A Promise, Keep It
Your child will learn to keep his/her word from your actions. So, if you promise something to your kid, like a movie or a picnic, try to stick to it. If at all it gets canceled due to unavoidable reasons, make your child understand the situation first and be sure to make up for it at some other time.
7. Have A No-Gadgets-At-Dinner Policy
And this includes TV as well. They say ‘a family that eats together, stays together’. Make dinner time more about family bonding and sharing than just eating. And let nothing come in between – be it TV or your phone!
8. Be Their Best Friend
Every parent wishes to have that special bond of trust where their children will share everything with them. To achieve this, you’ll have to become their friend first. It’s okay to be a little stern and disciplined. But, once in a while, let go of things and loosen out a bit. Let them see your fun side too.
9. Live Moments Of Every Festival
It’s quite understandable that you wish to click pictures of that wonderful Diwali diyas or the adorable Christmas tree to store them as a brilliant memory. But of what use is that memory of if you are missing out on all the fun with your kids by being busy with clicking pics? Instead of spending time with your phone (via taking pictures), live those wonderful festive moments with your children by getting involved in their festive activities!
10. Make It A Happy Family Picture
Do you love clicking your own pictures and posting them on social media? It might be fine to some extent, but getting self-obsessed is not. Some parents are so busy on social media that they make their kids feel left out. This doesn’t mean you should not socialize or expose your kids to social media. But make sure you draw a line when you are with your kids.
Parenting isn’t an easy job. And a huge part of bringing up your child is giving them enough attention and setting the right example yourself. Because children never remain kids forever. So make the most of the time you have with them. Shush your phone, not your child! #lookup