Why is spending time with your baby so important?

In today's world we have less and less time for ourselves and our family. Too many responsibilities make us forget how important the time we spend together for joint activities is for building relationships and a safe bond with the child. It is important not to count every minute, because it is not quantity but quality that counts. In May and June we celebrate the International Day of Families and Mother's Day, Children's Day and Father's Day. Why is spending time with your baby so important?

"Children more than others need to be sure that they are loved by those who say they love them

Good relations with children, with the young and the big ones, is an extremely profitable investment. Building them requires mindfulness from parents, accepting the child as he or she is, kindness and genuinely enjoying his presence. It also requires being with a child, i.e. spending time together. This activity should be a joy for the child, but also for the parent. Unfortunately, the latter more and more often say that they lack time for joint activities. It is worth considering, is it really a lack of time or maybe a lack of awareness of how important it is for a child to be with him, do something together, play? Or maybe adults just want to have peace of mind and rest after the hardships of the day, which they have a right to? Some even say to the child - "we will play on Sunday when I have more time". It's hard to build family relationships only on Sunday.

Building a relationship and a safe bond requires systematic actions and joint time that cannot be replaced by any stuffed animal or electronic gadget. Today, many parents, instead of spending time with their children, provide them with too many toys or carry them from one activity to another. This causes the family to live side by side and not together. However, it is worth remembering that not only the presence of the parent is important, but also his interest and genuine commitment to spending time with the child. Having fun together gives a sense of community, belonging, security and building a safe bond.

When the child's birthday, Christmas, Children's Day, etc. are approaching, many parents wonder what gift to choose for their child, so that it would be a hit and a joy for the child. What if this gift was the time that the parents give their child?

What is time in contact with the child?

C -patience with what the child says and does.

Z -delight that the child simply is.

A -authentic acceptance of the child as he is, without having to "fix" the child.

S -respect and dignity.

Many parents ask how to spend this time with the child and the whole family? At meetings with parents, I often bring up this topic, I ask the parents I work with about what games they use, how they spend time together with the child. Below are some suggestions.

Fun for the whole family that costs nothing

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Probably many of us remember them - they are the games of our childhood. It might seem that they will not be attractive to our children. Nothing could be more wrong! In conversations with parents, I hear that games such as city-states, ships or tic-tac-toe invariably entertain and teach. All they need is a piece of paper and something to write, and having fun together can bring a lot of satisfaction and joy to the whole family.

Other fun for the whole family

1. Board games - there are a lot of them on the market and they are becoming more and more popular. Co-op games are worth recommending, during which participants can create teams that have a common task. The important thing is that the participants of the group do not compete with each other.

The games worth recommending are:

• Get on the train - this is a game that requires strategic and tactical thinking. Players collect cards representing wagons and use them to build infrastructure: stations, tunnels, ferries, railway tracks on a specific route.
• Cortex - in this game, the whole family will complete 8 types of challenges that develop different brain functions. In the game, you need to answer the questions correctly to get the puzzle piece and then complete it as quickly as possible.
• We have a spy - it's a funny, unusual game of looking for a spy. The players take on the role of a spy who tries not to be exposed or the role of counterintelligence agents chasing him.
• Forbidden Desert - in the game, the whole family builds a flying machine to escape the desert.
• Catan (The Settlers of Catan) - is a family and economic game set on the recently established island of Catan. Each player participates in the construction of new settlements and roads to secure resources. If a player has excess resources, he can trade with other players.
• Talisman - is an adventure game in which the family goes to the land of dragons and magic. Many adventures await her in the quest for the greatest treasure, the legendary crown of the ruler. Players take on the role of warriors, priests and sorcerers.
• World conflict - the action of this game takes place in one of the countries on the border of two spheres of influence - Russian and Western. Players take on the role of local politicians who are trying to reach for power. They will have to effectively raise funds for their activities and use the proceeds at home and abroad.
• Saboteur - in the game, participants play the role of diggers looking for gold nuggets in the deep tunnels of the labyrinth or saboteurs who make the work of the diggers difficult.
• CV -What If - in this game, participants can create their own unique CV. You can actually become whatever you want by building your story step by step.

You can also always use the more famous games like: Dobble, Pytaki, Dixit Cards or Scrabble.

2. Fun in the open air - common bicycle trips, exploring the area, stalking games. An interesting idea is to play "treasure hunters". Adults give the children a map prepared by them in advance, on which the path is marked with various surprises, which the children have to overcome and reach the treasure. The treasure can be, for example, a ticket to go to the cinema together.
3. Artistic games - such as traditional drawing or painting or creating more complex works, using the decoupage technique. Children also like clay, plasticine or salt dough molding. It is interesting and creative fun to draw something on a piece of paper with your eyes closed, and then ask your child to finish the drawing, and vice versa. It is also worth remembering about the common art of creating origami. Reading and telling stories together - it's the best time to be together, to be close, to cuddle. It gives the child the feeling that he is important and loved.
4. Cooking, baking and cleaning together - children can also be involved in various household activities. For example, setting the table, preparing sandwiches, unpacking groceries, etc. This will allow the child to feel that he is responsible for keeping the house in order, and at the same time will strengthen his sense of value when it will make a real contribution to the family's life.

I think that what gives children the confidence that they are loved and important to their parents is time well spent playing and talking together. It's just being together, not side by side. It is worth ensuring that this time spent together with the family is not interrupted by thoughtless phone calls, text messages or checking messages. A well-known maxim is œA child is like a suitcase. What you put in it today, you will take it out after some time. " It is worthwhile to reflect on what I am putting in this suitcase as a parent today. "my child".