Being a parent means you take on a whole basket of endless responsibilities. How do you spend one-on-one time with your kids?  Sometimes in the hectic days, it can be hard to find the time to connect with your kids. These 10 ideas will help you to carve out connection time with your kids — even when life is busy!

1. Set a regular date night. Putting it on the calendar always works well. The frequency of the date nights will depend on your family. This could be daddy and daughter dates, mommy and son dates, or guys night and girls night.  I love this idea of how to be sure that each child gets a turn.
2. Set a timer. When you are a parent to more than one child, it can be difficult to have one-on-one time. A fun idea can be to give each child 10 minutes of individual time. Set a timer and let the child pick out what they want to do with mommy (for this I advise doing in the house activities). While 10 minutes may not sound like a long time, just giving that focused attention on the child can prove to be very beneficial.
3. Surprise your kids! Whether it is bringing lunch to their school or signing them out of school early, find fun ways to surprise your kids. You could even declare it “Donut Monday” or whatever it may be. Be creative!
4. Have a regular family night. Even when life gets busy, it can be comforting to know there is a set night on the calendar for the family to connect.
5. Read a book together. Once your child is able to read, pick out a book to read together. You can then discuss the characters and what you think is going to happen.
6. Connect in the car. With all the driving to and from activities, parents spend a lot of time in the car with the kids. Turn off the music and engage in conversation with your kids.
7. Play toys together. What is your child’s favorite toy? Sit down and play with them. Sure there are countless other things you could be doing, but giving your child a few minutes of play is always priceless.  Don’t just watch your child… learn how to play with them. 
8. Start a journal. When your child is able to write, get a notebook and start writing. You can each take turns writing in the journal. This is a fun tradition to start!
9. Let them stay up late- every now and then! Give each child one night that they get to stay up late with mom and dad. This is special time for them to play a game or talk with the parents.
10. Put your phone down. Many times we miss out on connecting with our kids because our faces are turned into a screen rather than our kids.   Yes, there is a reason that moms are always on their phones, but try putting it down.  When your child is trying to tell you something, put your phone down and give them eye contact. Consider setting down the phone from after school to bedtime even.

What about you? How do you find time to connect with your kids when life is busy?   Let us know on our Facebook page, where we share parenting tips daily. 

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