You want to connect with your child, but you don’t know where to start. Maybe you didn’t grow up with siblings, maybe you didn’t have a close relationship with your own mother. Anyways, you aren’t sure how to go about building those connections.
When I became a mom, I didn’t know how! I thought connecting would come naturally, like eating cake. But as it turns out, it can be hard. Maybe it’s just my independent nature. I like to be left alone to read a book, take a walk, or whatever. I am somewhat of an introvert, so I can handle alone-ness quite well.
But to be a friend, one must step outside of their comfortable space, and step into the life of another. And this was where I got hung up.
“But your own kids?! What is wrong with you?!”
I don’t know. Maybe I am more of an introvert than I thought. Maybe I am selfish.
Or maybe you struggle with this, too??
One easy way to build connection with your child
One easy way I have learned to connect with my kids, has been to laugh with them. (not at them!) Who cares if their jokes are corny or their stories oft-repeated? I just laugh with them!
We laugh at silly pictures we find online, we laugh at corny jokes and puns (latest obsession!), we laugh at pretty much anything we can. Now, I am the first to say “cut the foolishness”, when it careens off into potty-talk or just extreme foolishness. After all, God’s Word tells us that foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child…
“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.” Proverbs 22:15
So, we sure don’t want to encourage foolishness. But happy giggles, clean fun and lots of laughter – oh, this is good for the soul!
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Look for humor
I purposely look for funny things to share with my kids, so we can laugh about it together. Silly memes, funny cat videos, new dad-jokes. There is something about laughing together that builds a bond.
I encourage you to try it. Google “clean kid jokes” and you will find some great ones. Surprise your kids with some gut-busting humor today. 😉
Do you like to joke and laugh with your kids? Is it hard for you to connect, or what things do you do, to build that connection with your child?
My children are older now, but when they were all little we would occasionally do photo booth pics on the computer, everybody crammed together, making silly faces, sad faces, kissy lips, etc. Or we would use the different filters: stretch our faces, give everybody birds flying around their heads. It was a great way to end a stressful day where all the neediness of the kids had me wanting to put them all to bed as speedily as possible. First a few laughs, then prayers and bed. I cherish those pics with their grainy blurs from the wiggly child and always a slightly bewildered baby not sure where to look. ??