“I’m always so busy with work that I never seem to have time to spend with my children. What is something simple and tangible I can do to connect with them?”

With the demands of our careers and the reality of what it takes for a parent to provide for his/her family, we can very easily miss out on the opportunities to nurture our relationships with our kids. That being said, however, our kids need us to do whatever it takes to connect with them.

While TV and video games can be very entertaining, there is something to be said about the parent who gets down on the floor to play with his/her child. It doesn’t have to be anything long and drawn out. Simply taking a few minutes of time out of your busy day to do something interactive with your children can create that needed connection.

Working parents have the added struggle of balancing their time, but a few minutes of intentional effort can have an extreme impact. Sitting on the floor to play a card game or building something out of Legos can go a long way. Take the time to figure out what activities interest your child.

Some key points to remember:

• Physically lower yourself to your child’s eye-level
• Pay attention to the things they like to do
• Be the initiator! Asking your children to play with you, instead of waiting for them to ask you, is very impacting
• Turn off the TV and computer and do something interactive together
• Be creative in finding ways to involve your children in the things that you like to do as well!

Nick Hersey, LAMFT, LAPC

nhersey@ GROWcounseling.com