SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR CHILDREN

It is a privilege writing this blog as it has also helped me to understand a lot of things I need to understand about taking care of my children. Being a mother is not the easiest of things (although it’s the most joyful), especially when you are working. But you know what I realized? God has fashioned us to be able to multi task and still stand strong. We have the responsibility to take care of our children. Our husbands do their part, but they have been designed to go out and get the provision, now that leaves us mothers, and in this day and age, where we also have to go out and work? But I’m asking myself, what kind of work do you do as a woman that will not allow you take proper care of your children? I’m impressed when I hear women say they resigned to become full time mums to take care of their children, or they left the banking industry to get a job in a less tedious organization so they can be home in the evening to help their children with homework and stuff. But you know what? Sometimes stay at home mums can be so busy they don’t have any time left to spend with the children.

What we don’t realize is that these children have been conditioned to learn, so if we as mothers are not there to teach them, they will definitely learn from other sources, and God help us if the other sources are “bad, bad people”. Then our children will end up picking up vices that will give us high blood pressure in the future.

The best we can do for our children is not to give them the most expensive gifts or take them to the most expensive places. All these are good but if we don’t have the TIME to spend with these little ones then all the gifts and trips mean nothing. The time I mean here is QUALITY TIME!

Quality time can be very simply defined as meaningful time spent nurturing a child and communicating freely with him or her. This is the time when parents can bond most meaningfully with their children, while also creating happy childhood memories. Both working and stay-at-home parents need to make the effort to create some quality time with kids and help them grow into happy, confident and responsible adults.

When do I have the TIME, when I don’t even have time for myself? I hear you ask.

Hmmmmm, if your week day is like mine, close of work at 4pm, sometimes 5pm, cross check or do homework, bath time, cooking dinner and feeding time, you practically have no time for anything extra because at the end of it all you are totally exhausted. You have just enough energy left to drag yourself to bed so you can wake early and start the routine all over again. And your Saturday, you have clean up, washing, market runs and cooking to do, added to bath time, feeding and attending to the children and their daddy (wink). Believe me, i know its not easy, but I have to try to balance all these on a daily basis.

What keeps me going is the fact that I know I have to be there for my children, spending time with them is not an option but a necessity. Unfortunately, if we don’t make it happen, it simply doesn’t get done. And, if it doesn’t get done, the loss lasts a long time. So I try to make sure my work and home life is balanced.

It’s really not that hard. We think it takes hours, days and weeks to make a difference. Not true. It takes consistency and presence (heartfelt, eye-to-eye, devoted/uninterrupted time). It can be done in five minutes, 30 minutes, two hours, or a weekend … it’s the quality that counts.

Some of us actually spend more time on the phone than with our children.

How do I spend quality time with my children?

• Reading: I read stories to them in the evenings and sometimes I ask my daughter to read a story to us.

• Role play: I eat and drink a lot of imaginary things (hahahahaha), and I sometimes help to prepare them.

• TV time: We watch TV together and it’s fun to sing and dance along with them.

• School runs: A great time to chit chat on your way to and from school. My daughter and son can both talk all the way (about 10mins). It’s amazing!

• Share a meal (I call it communal eating).

• Help with homework.

• Group hug and kiss.

Other ways to spend quality time with our children are:

• Swimming

• Going for a walk

• Do art and craft together

• Go shopping

Most importantly, let your child know you are always available for her.

More than effort, you need imagination to create pockets of quality time in an otherwise packed routine, but it is quite easily possible and will pay rich dividends as your child grows up feeling secure, loved and happy.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES IN FOOD

A healthy lifestyle begins with a proper diet. The food a child eats plays a direct role in her health. Healthy eating is important for the proper formation of bones, teeth, muscle and a healthy heart. Healthy food as the primary source of fuel gives your child the energy she needs to grow properly and focus at school.

This we have said before. So what should my child eat that is healthy/nutritious?

CALCIUM

• A study done by the Children's Nutrition Research Center suggests that a lack of calcium can result in low bone strength. Weak bone strength and low levels of calcium can lead to osteoporosis in later years.

Foods with calcium include:

Diary food e.g. Milk, yogurt, cheese

Leafy green vegetables

Fruits

Beans

Fish

IRON

• A lack of iron can have serious effects on a child's body. Iron deficiency can lead to being constantly tired or weak, irritable, lack an appetite, decreased memory and mental function, headaches and fatigue.

Iron rich foods for children are:

Lean red meats e.g. beef

Liver (Hmmmm)

Seafood e.g. shrimp

Poultry e.g. chicken and turkey

Eggs (the yoke contains iron)

Nuts

Pastas and bread

Cereals

VEGETABLES AND FRUITS!

• Vegetables contain important nutrients known as antioxidants that can reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. They also contain folic acid.

All fruits and vegetables are healthy. They may be cooked, raw, steamed, boiled, stir fried or roasted. Remember to offer children a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. The variety of fruits and vegetables eaten is more important than the amount.

PLEASE NOTE:

Breakfast is a great way to start the day for a child. Most cereals are bolstered with extra vitamins and minerals for a well-balanced meal. Children who eat breakfast have more energy and do better in school.

The potato is rich in fiber, high in vitamin C and only has about 110 calories. Teach your children to eat potatoes especially boiled. Chips are not the best way to eat potatoes, leave that for special occasions.

Regular physical activity is also important for healthy growth, development and well being of children. They should have 60 minutes of physical activity every day; including vigorous activities that will make them “huff and puff”.