Do you spend enough time with your child? If you spend more time with your child, will it make them a better person in the long run? How much time, on average, should you be spending with your kids? These and more questions often run through parents’ minds – especially those who are employed full-time. The good news is we dug a little deeper to see the benefits and the science behind spending time with your children.
As it turns out, in an article by the Washington Post, the sheer amount of time parents spend with their kids between the ages of 3 and 11 has virtually no relationship to how children turn out, and a minimal effect on adolescents, according to the first large-scale longitudinal study of parent time. The study covers academic achievement, behaviour and emotional well-being.
However, quality time over quantity time spent between parents and children can have an extremely positive effect on our children…it isn’t HOW much time you spend, but the quality of time you spend with your children which makes a difference.
The Benefits of Spending Quality Time with Your Children
In Ellen Galinsky’s 1999 book Ask the Children: The Breakthrough Study that Reveals How to Succeed at Work and Parenting, Ellen reports a study with a group of third through twelfth graders and discovered they didn’t wish for more time with their working parents. Instead, about a third of them wished that their parents, particularly their mothers, would be less tired and stressed by work.
Things like eating dinner together every night (without having smart phones or tablets at the table), or reading to your children before bed, or working on a project together daily supports children in experiencing emotional health and wellness. After all, they are important enough for YOU to spend time with them.
The top five regrets parents face, according to this article by the daily mail, conclude that spending too much time at work was the biggest regret, followed by worrying too much about the little things which didn’t really matter. The third biggest regret was not playing with their children enough, not going on more family holidays and not taking enough photos over the years.
While each family is different, with children of different ages and needs, there is no magical number I could find which supplied the perfect formula for raising happy, healthy, well-rounded children via quality time. All that HAS been determined is that quality time every day away from phones, T.V.s and the like, can support your child in being happier and healthier. Communicating with your child about the things they like and don’t like, discussing their successes and perceived failures throughout the day, and any challenges they are facing at school can also help them feel supported by their parents while simultaneously opening up channels of communication which can come in handy later on in life.
If there is anything I learned throughout writing this article, it is parents seem to have a natural tendency to feeling guilty – when most of the time all the children want is for their parents to be as happy and stress-free as possible! Keep in mind your children may mimick you in the future – so if you want to raise happy, healthy children, it is time to focus on being a happy, healthy adult!
If you are looking for one of the best kindergartens or daycares in PJ which instills strong family values, I would highly consider checking out Little Human Scholars in Petaling Jaya. For me, I want the absolutely best education for my child, but price and location is also a factor. I don’t have time to travel from PJ to Cheras every day just for a school (you know how the traffic can be). This is why so many parents feel Little Human Scholars kindergarten in PJ, located near University Hospital, Jaya One, Jaya33, PJ Old Town and PJ New Town, is the best kindergarten in PJ. You can see for yourself on their Facebook Page. You get all the features and perks of a first-rate, high quality, boutique school with a great location and a reasonable price you can afford.
If you are interested in registering your child in Little Human Scholars kindergarten near Jaya One, simply click here and fill out the form or call +6017-7303 025 to schedule a walk through with one of their staff members. Whether you are looking for childcare for a two-month-old, or for full day care with meals and transportation included, or just a simple half-day school Monday through Friday, Little Human Scholars kindergarten is one school that truly caters to their students AND the parents.
Wishing you happy parenting experiences!!
Jana Moreno