Your Time Effects Your Childs Development

Today's parents talk quite a bit about spending quality time with their children. Some parents believe that if they've spent an hour of "quality" time with their children, they've done enough. This hour is usually focused on an enjoyable activity: watching t.v., going out to eat, going to the movies, etc.

Although today's world turns at a frenetic pace and parents are often overwhelmed by all they have to do, our parenting tips will highlight the importance of spending both quality and what I call quantity time with your kids.

To illustrate the difference between the two, let me share a brief story...

     The other day at the supermarket, I ran into an acquaintance. In order to protect his identity, we'll call him Joe. After we exchanged greetings, I asked about his nine year old son, Austin. Joe is divorced and has custody of Austin every other weekend. He told me: "Let me give you a parenting tip. Every time I do something with Austin, I make sure it’s something fun. Last weekend, I took him to Sunway Lagoon. I’m spending quality time with him all right … yeah, that’s what I’m doing." When I asked how Austin was doing in school, Joe stammered for a moment, then waved me off, "That kid’s got the world by the tail."

     Let’s begin by recognizing Joe’s efforts to spend time with his son. Given his situation, time constraints and his understanding of what Austin needs from him, he’s trying to be a decent father. It seems, though, that his need to make sure that Austin is always entertained might stem from feelings of guilt over spending little time with him. It’s a modus operandi that I refer to as "guilty parenting." Here's the first of my parenting tips: when you feel bad about your inability to do something for your child and try to make up for it through some compensatory action, you can create an ill affect.

So How Would You Spend Your Time With Your Child???