Best gift for Children’s Day? Time spent together.

Best gift for children - family time (Elly Fairytale/pexels)

Let your child speak out – an idea for an afternoon spent together

Many parents wonder how to make their child happy on their day. Many ideas you will find are: a dream toy, various treats, going to the zoo and a number of other attractions. Why don’t you take a different approach? Let your child speak out. Let them decide how they would like to spend this time with you. This is an opportunity for this holiday to truly be your child’s day. They might surprise you with their ideas. It might turn out that, apart from nice extras in the form of gifts, your child just needs to spend time with you. Go for a walk in the forest or maybe watch their favourite film together. The ability to set the rules for this afternoon on their own and choose a place and time will benefit them, making them feel that you trust them and that their needs are really important to you.

Talk, talk, talk 

Think back to your childhood. What was your relationship with your parents like? Did you talk? Did they listen to you? Remember all the conversations you had and didn’t have. Now, taking these things into account, think about what you would like to give to your children. Time devoted to talking is an investment that will result in a sense of closeness, trust and openness. It will also show your child that they are an important, unique and valuable person. Especially to you, their parents and carers. Why is taking the time to talk to your child is so important?

Talk to your child as often as possible. Ask about their dreams, needs and important matters. Listen carefully. Let them feel loved, heard out and understood. Share with them your experiences, childhood stories and important moments in life. Let these be conversations that build self-esteem, encourage them to act and develop self-confidence.

Summary

Your rituals

Rituals organise our life and give it a special meaning. There are and can be many of them. Every day you can find time for a festive moment, when you’ll perform an important meeting or have a conversation. Of course, finding time, strength and enthusiasm requires energy, but it’s worth trying. Such a fixed event, especially if planned with the child, gives you something to look forward to. It could be having a meal together, going for a Sunday walk, watching a film together once a month, having an evening conversation... It’s up to you!

 

All source materials are prepared by the team of Kulczyk Foundation’s Education Department in cooperation with teachers and experts – pedagogists, psychologists and cultural experts – and verified by an experienced family therapist Kamila Becker. Kinga Kuszak, PhD, Professor of Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of Educational Studies, provides content-related supervision over Kulczyk Foundation’s educational materials. All materials are covered by the content patronage of the Faculty of Educational Studies of Adam Mickiewicz University.

The article was published on 01.06.2020 on the website of Instytut Dobrego Życia (Good Life Institute)

Authors: Marta Tomaszewska (Kulczyk Foundation) and Anna Woźniak (Instytut Dobrego Życia)