How do you spend quality time with kids?

Kim · **How do you spend quality time with kids?**

What do you do with your kids to spend genuine quality time and truly enjoy yourselves (as opposed to just going through the motions)?

AyeOhKay · 10-14-2007, 12:43 PM

The key is to find an activity that everyone can enjoy.

Fun things for us include: fishing, going to the park, taking a walk in the woods, reading aloud (we are currently rereading the Harry Potter series), seeing the local sites and attending local festivals. We also play a lot of board games and enjoy watching movies.

We are all involved in martial arts, and that allows us to spend a lot of time together, too.

As a homeschooling family, we spend a lot of time "learning" together, too (science experiments, crafts, field trips).

I think each family will be a little different as it all depends on your/your children's interests!

Oregano · 10-14-2007, 02:49 PM

I have always disliked that term 'quality time'...what the heck does that mean anyhow? I think any time I spend with my kids is quality time! I don't ever 'go through the motions'...what do you mean by that? We always have a good time, laugh a lot etc Whether it's at the dinner table, working in the yard or around the house, hanging out together etc

brensmom · 10-14-2007, 03:09 PM

we all like to play board games so we play one almost every night. we also like to be outside we play frisbee go on nature walks go to the park we just do stuff thats fun for all of us.

Claire · 10-14-2007, 03:20 PM

I agree with Oregano. When I think back to my childhood, my favorite memories are not necessarily what my parents thought I would remember, I am sure. They are more day to day things that stuck in my head that we had fun doing.

So, that is what we try to do, too. The forced or planned quality time activities are not as memorable for the kids as I think they are for the adults sometimes. I think we go through the motions more at that time than any other spontaneous time, but that is JMO.

We do play a lot of board games though because, well, I like them

lovemy2boys · 10-14-2007, 04:12 PM

I just LOVE, LOVE the park - we are outside, they run and climb like crazy, we always run into other friends, the moms chat, just an overall great time IMO!! Also, like to color with the youngest and play cards with the oldest. Also, love snuggling in bed to read together. And how happy they get when I make a favorite meal! These are the things I think memories are made of, as the poster above said, it is more the day-to-day than the big things.

AyeOhKay · 10-14-2007, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oregano

..what the heck does that mean anyhow? I think any time I spend with my kids is quality time! I don't ever 'go through the motions'...what do you mean by that? We always have a good time, laugh a lot etc Whether it's at the dinner table, working in the yard or around the house, hanging out together etc

Wikipedia says "Quality time is an informal reference to time spent with loved ones (eg. close family, partners or friends) which is in some way important or special. "

All day, every day cannot be "special." I, too, agree that the term is overused. I also don't think "quality time" is every second we are together. I'm not saying that it isn't important to have downtime together with just routine activities, because it is. What I'm saying is that I believe Kim's OP was asking "What do you do that is special together?" - beyond the routine. What do you enjoy together?

It is sad to say, but I see some parents who do "go through the motions." They plan activities for their kids just to say they did it, not because it was something that they and their children would enjoy.

Kellyandgirls · 10-14-2007, 05:53 PM

I think our quality time is being there for them!! like today watching them play socccer being a part of there lives!! and The best part is putting them to bed!! we like to hangout with them till they fall alseep!! it makes us sit and relax and just hang out!! no words are said (well after the books are over) but just knowing we can hang out and be together!! I think it means soo much to us!! they grow up so fast and to me that is what we show them how we want to be a part of there kives not just be a bystander!!

Me&My2girls · 10-14-2007, 06:23 PM

There are a lot of things that we do as a family. We love to go to the zoo together, play board games, we all get into our big bed and read books, we play in the back yard, all of us go to the library, I take them to story and craft times, we have "family fun days/nights" where we have a theme and do games, crafts, story and food that support the theme, we "decorate for seasons" together, we take a lot of family trips- Valleyfair for a day, Disney world, "water park hotel" vacations...where there is absolutely no talk of DH's work or calls, e-mails or what ever.

I think the key for us is that the TV is not on durring our "family time" unless it is a special movie that all of us can watch and laugh at together. DH and I believe that we spend more family time with our family than most people do now days.

Kim · 10-14-2007, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oregano

I have always disliked that term 'quality time'...what the heck does that mean anyhow? I think any time I spend with my kids is quality time! I don't ever 'go through the motions'...what do you mean by that? We always have a good time, laugh a lot etc Whether it's at the dinner table, working in the yard or around the house, hanging out together etc

Well, I admit that sometimes I'll be playing Candyland and thinking about checking my e-mail, or dressing up a Barbie wondering what's for dinner. So, by not going through the motions I mean you're fully engaged in what you're doing, and you're enoying every minute of it. I agree - any time w/kids is good - but (for me, anyway) certain times are more enjoyable than others!