Here is a huge list to inspire you with ideas for quality time with your baby or toddler, as well as ideas for growing a love of God through quality time.
What is my Child’s Love Language?
Is my child’s love language quality time? It might be, if he hangs on you for attention, is constantly asking you to watch him do things, and hates to be separated from you.
Why is Quality Time Important?
I think that the amount of attention we feel we ought to give our kids is a relatively recent phenomenon. My husband recently told me about an old babysitting technique he read about: tie the kid to a table leg so he doesn’t wander off.
But at the same time, our children are miraculous, wonderful people! I know I love interacting with them and watching them develop, and my sweet daughter teaches me so much about wonder and generosity.
“And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” –Matthew 18:5”
Jesus tells us to welcome and weakest, poorest, most powerless, and least desired among us. So even when it interferes with our own business, these poor innocents deserve our attention and love as we would love Jesus.
The Problem with Quality Time
This is a tricky one. I’m sure we’d all love to sit and play with our kids one-on-one for hours, but there are dishes to wash, lunches to make, diapers to change, other kids to care for….
I find that one way to have quality time with toddlers is to seriously work on tasks together. While I wash the floor, my daughter dries it. Very little ones can even just be in a bouncer while you work, as long as you can interact at the same time. And, of course, giving your children siblings is a wonderful way to give them access to someone who has nothing but free time to spend on them!
Here are some other ideas:
- Scheduled one-on-one time with the child, doing chores or games, but with 100% focus on the child herself rather than the activity.
- Fully engaging in an activity he loves, like making towers out of blocks or digging in the sandbox. Ask him lots of questions about it, whether he can answer or not.
- Reading a book together. Put your ankle on your knee and rest your little one in the crook of your other knee so she can see your face and the book as you read.
- Go for a walk together, if he can walk. Or carry him in a carrier on a walk or hike and talk about things that interest him.
- Get a toddler-friendly board game, or make up the rules of your own game and have regular “game nights.”
- Invite him to join in with your stretching or workouts.
- Have little traditions of fun family activities at regular times.
- Make eye contact when talking to him, and get down on his level when you can.
- Geocache or play “I spy” together when you go out.
- Play “follow the leader” at the park, and do everything she does!
- Ask him to help with chores or in the kitchen. Both my kids loved helping with laundry, and especially if it’s a regular task that happens at the same time each day.
- At bedtime, talk with your child about the day. Share what you liked best, ask what she liked best (even if she can’t answer very well), and remember the fun things she did.
- Find ways to support his favorite activities, whether that’s cheering at baby soccer camp or helping set the tea table for all her dolls.
- Put down the phone or stop what you’re doing when your toddler comes up to you or when your baby is interacting with you. If you can’t just stop, loop them in on the process and explain what you are working on or even ask for their help.
- Look through phone photos, scrapbooks, or photobooks to relive fun memories together. Or have a slideshow night every so often!
- Always respond when your child tries to engage.
- Have family meal time (no phones, and try to include littles in conversation at least a bit).
Quality Time and Faith Formation
When our kids are older they can spend time in prayer and adoration, but how can kids spend quality time with God before their attention spans can handle that? Here are some ideas:
- Spend time with your kids in church, even for short periods (like 5 minutes of adoration). Whisper to them the whole time about what they see. If your church lacks much physical décor to talk about, bring some religious books to go through.
- Pray litanies together with your kids.
- Read him stories from a children’s Bible and talk about the pictures.
- Have a slow, prayer-focused bedtime routine.
- Foster a devotion to the Holy Family
- Really celebrate religious events like baptisms, Sundays, and feast days. Make them special and fill them with family time.
- Whisper to her and stroke her back during the consecration at Mass.
- Walk around the church together and talk about the Saints and scenes depicted.
- Visit the homebound or volunteer in other ways that involve spending time with people. Talk about how we help Jesus when we help those in need.
- Take a pilgrimage together as a family—to a local shrine or a distant site.
- Go caroling or sing hymns together.
- Make Sundays family days.
- Get some fun, religious-themed board games (appropriate to your child’s age).
- Have designated prayer times together. Follow a set routine so she can memorize how things go and participate.
- Play out with toys or draw Bible scenes or moments from the lives of the Saints.
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” –2 Timothy 3:14-15
Do you have any other ideas to add? Comment below!
Check out the other posts in the series here:
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