| Protecting Our Kids Newsletter |
Fifteen Minutes of Connection
Busy parents are always active, trying to make better lives for their
children and themselves. It can be very hard to find relaxed time to
catch up with kids and keep track of what's happening in their lives.
Kids need to speak with their parents, for this is how they learn about
life. But sometimes kids are silent, and particularly as they approach
puberty, they may become withdrawn and quiet. Worried parents may
resort to constant questions of the form, where did you go out, what
did you do nothing.
One way to stay in touch with kids is to develop habits where there is
contact with kids apart from other children and television. Brief
experiences, fifteen minutes in length, such as washing dishes or
helping a youngster clean up his room, offer a parent a chance to
make a connection. This can also happen when a child helps with
chores or goes along to help a parent with grocery shopping. The
time alone with a parent allows the adult to read a youngster's mood
and notice changes from one time to another.
Busy parents are always active, trying to make better lives for their
children and themselves. It can be very hard to find relaxed time to
catch up with kids and keep track of what's happening in their lives.
Kids need to speak with their parents, for this is how they learn about
life. But sometimes kids are silent, and particularly as they approach
puberty, they may become withdrawn and quiet. Worried parents may
resort to constant questions of the form, where did you go out, what
did you do nothing.
One way to stay in touch with kids is to develop habits where there is
contact with kids apart from other children and television. Brief
experiences, fifteen minutes in length, such as washing dishes or
helping a youngster clean up his room, offer a parent a chance to
make a connection. This can also happen when a child helps with
chores or goes along to help a parent with grocery shopping. The
time alone with a parent allows the adult to read a youngster's mood
and notice changes from one time to another.
<script src="http://www.google-
analytics.com/urchin.js" type="
text/javascript">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
_uacct = "UA-3716758-1";
urchinTracker();
</script>
<script src="http://www.google-
analytics.com/urchin.js" type="
text/javascript">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
_uacct = "UA-3718382-1";
urchinTracker();
</script>
analytics.com/urchin.js" type="
text/javascript">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
_uacct = "UA-3716758-1";
urchinTracker();
</script>
<script src="http://www.google-
analytics.com/urchin.js" type="
text/javascript">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
_uacct = "UA-3718382-1";
urchinTracker();
</script>
December, 2006
