Many people don't know but 93% of the in-person time you’ll spend with your child(ren) will happen during the first 18 years of their life. The final 7% will be stretched out over the next 50-years. If you want those days to be memorable here are some tips from Parents magazine:
Check in daily. When they come home from school make the time to ask how their day went. What was the most interesting thing that happened? Do they have any new friends? Any questions that can start a real conversation instead of getting the answer, "it was fine."
Special rituals like bath time, bed time, or prayer time. But instead of using this time to hurry along the moments before bed, use it to create quality time with your child.
Celebrate achievements and jobs well done. Anytime you have the opportunity to celebrate your child, do it! And not just when they get an 'A' or perform exceptionally well at a sporting event. Celebrating their successes is a great opportunity for quality time and reinforces positive behaviors.
Let your child choose. Ask your child how they want to spend time with you. Do they want to play together, color together, or craft together? Maybe throw a baseball or have a dance party? Giving them the reigns isn't just empowering, it can be a pleasant surprise, i.e. you might learn something about their interests you didn't know before.
Create and cook together. Kids have got to eat, and even the pickiest of eaters will be on board with the opportunity to help plan and/or make their own meals and snacks.
Have a YES Day! When parents have a 'yes day,' they're essentially agreeing to say yes to every request their kids have... for an entire day. Kamala London, Ph.D., a developmental psychology professor previously shared that "research has found—as far as what leads to happiness in people and not just children—that saying 'yes' gives a sense of control in one's environment, and children often don't have a sense of control."