Page 46 - Mangwanani Magazine June 2020 Edition
P. 46

It's simple: spend more quality time with your little one


    When  they  are  young,  you  may  think  that  you  have  a   Instead  of  stressing  about  how  many  minutes  you  will
    long  time  before  they  reach  their  teens.  At  times,   share  with  your  little  ones,  think  of  ways  to  make  those
    especially during difcult times, time seems to stand still.   minutes  memorable.  One  way  is  to  schedule  quality
    Inevitably, time passes and often seems to y by. Savour   time.  This  can  include  going  to  the  movies  together,
    all the precious moments you have together. It’s a rush   those moments of chatting while you are driving them to
    to get children dressed, to make sure they have brushed   their  ballet  practice,  serving  ice  cream  sundaes  that
    their teeth, to get them into the car, to take them to day   they have helped to make, playing the games they like
    care,  to  provide  their  meals,  to  bath  them,  and  to  get   with  them,  or  even  having  a  spa  spoil  and  manicure
    them  to  bed.  You  might  just  have  enough  energy  to   together.
    drag yourself to bed at night, only to restart the routine
    next  morning.  This  routine  can  be  perpetuated  as   If you think the effort is not worth it, then imagine the back seat of
    birthday after birthday passes. One day you realise that   the car empty, their bedrooms empty, and their toys covered in
                                                              dust. Obviously, you can’t slow down time, but you can optimise
    your  four -year -old  is  now  16.
                                                              the time you spend with your little ones. Therefore, instead of
                                                              focusing on quantity time spent with them, focus on quality time.
    No matter what parental philosophy you follow, there is a
                                                              They will remember those moments, just as you will.
    single  truth  in  all  of  this:  your  little  ones  need  to  spend
    quality time with you. Your children need to see who you
    are,  and  to  see  how  you  live  your  life.  On  the  ip  side,
    they  will  assist  you  to  better  see  yourself.

    Consider  all  the  time  your  little  one  is  spending  in  the
    care  of  others  −  the  day  care,  while  they  sleep,  when
    they play at a friend’s house, and other times they spend
    away from you.   You may then begin to value the time
    that remains to you, when quality time comes into play.




                                                 www.mangwanani.co.za                                            pg 43
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