Spending time on after-school activities with your son or daughter is the perfect way to delight in your child. It's important to show your child that you delight in him and his company, as this bonds a parent-child relationship. Usually, when it's a one-on-one activity, whatever the activity is–and there is an opportunity to show the child that you delight in his progress, talent, or skill and, most importantly, that you delight in the child himself simply because he's yours.
As parents, we spend hours a week investing in our children's hobbies, driving them to and from activities and school, and supporting practices and schoolwork. Understanding the benefits of this bonding time with your child can help parents capitalize on these hours in a way that promotes parent-child bonding.
With various parenting and parent-child relationship resources, BLOOM provides the encouragement and guidance you need as a parent to invest in your child fully. Discover our course Parenting for helpful and accessible tips.
The Importance of Children Trying New Things
Once your child is no longer a toddler, they may not be asking you to ride down the slide at the park or swing with them on the swings. Still, the importance of children being eager and willing to try new things is important at all ages.
As children grow older, they are often introduced to new activities and hobbies through what you, as a parent, pursue. Encouraging a child to pursue their interests or try what they are passionate about will spark curiosity and a lifelong love of learning.
If you are passionate about being outdoors, doing arts and crafts, building things, cooking, or reading, invite your child to do these activities with you. Not only are you sharing something you love with your child as generational knowledge, but you are also planting a seed of interest so your child can define their own passions as they grow.
Strengthening the Parent-Child Relationship
Strengthening the parent-child relationship, or bonding, goes both ways. When you share a hobby with your child, it not only benefits your child but also you (the parent)! For adults, it can be easy to get caught up in the end result of a task, but a child introduces enthusiasm and curiosity to every task you share.
Spending time together sharing hobbies with your child is an opportunity to learn from your child and your child to learn from you.
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