Monday, March 3, 2014

QUALITY TIME

The simple definition of quality time is that you spent time doing something that meant a lot to your child. Sometimes term 'quality time' is used to mean that you please your child by spoiling him so that you can cut down on the amount of time spent together. This type of definition is a gross abuse of the term.

How much time should you spent with your child?-the answer is: spend as much as time as possible in a way not to interfere with developing child's independence or socialisation with other members of community. Following are good examples:

1. Participating in activities of daily living like teeth brushing, bathing, eating, dressing of the child- without hurry or distraction
2. Playing together
3. Visiting places like gardens, restuarants and parks
4. Going around for short walks, to fill petrol/ get money from ATM, buy provisions from neighbourhood store
5. Reading together- the same book
6. Doing household tasks together- like tidying, gardening, cooking- with a sense of play rather than as a chore
7. Doing fun activities like colouring/ drawing/ craft work
8. Play dates where parents also play with the kids
9. taking the child along when you are doing your hobby-tasks such as trekking/ stamp collecting/ star gazing. Finding out what he likes to do and spend time doing such things- even sitting near a road and watching cars go by if he likes to watch cars
10. Listening more and talking less. Listening with interest and a sense of wonder- resisting the impulse to correct him or educate him continuously.
11. Look at the child continuously. hold his hand, pat his head and back, and give appropriate verbal and physical responses.
12. It is not the time to spoil the child. Always limits and rules of behavior have to be clear and child may be treated as equal rather than superior or inferior