Parenting is a challenging but rewarding job. From your child’s primary school to secondary and even post-secondary school years, you’ll be juggling your role as a parent, teacher, mentor and friend. To play these roles successfully, it is important to build a strong bond with your child by participating in parent-child bonding activities together which can be fun and educational.

Here are some useful tips on positive parenting and how to spend quality time with your child to build a stronger, happier and lasting relationship.


 Child bonding activities you can do together: What these can do for your child:
1 Start from a young age by letting your child decide which storybook to read, what outfit to wear, where to go during the weekends for family fun etc. Start with two options at a time because very young children may get confused with too many choices. As they get older, you can give them more options.Your child learns to be independent and will also be engaged in decision-making with the family.
2 Let your child learn about managing finances by making purchases together! Provide a fixed budget and a shopping list while your little one accompanies you to the store. Older children can be allowed to plan the list themselves. This way, you can teach your child to manage money independently and have fun shopping for items together.
3 Play games, like passing a ball, skipping or a sport like badminton. These physical activities are fun and they also help your child learn about teamwork. By working together in a team or competing against each other, you can boost your child’s self-confidence as well as encourage healthy outdoor fun that promotes family bonding activities.
4 Get your child to join in the fun when you are baking or cooking meals. Let them participate according to their age and ability. A younger child can easily stir a cake mixture, while an older child could help you dice ingredients. It will be a fun-filled activity for both of you. This builds your child’s confidence as they learn to follow instructions, do things in sequence and see the results of their efforts. Your child will feel proud in contributing to something that both of you can share.
5 Board games, card games and puzzles allow you and your child to spend quality time together as these activities encourage family participation. and goes a long way in strengthening family ties. Board games can be a good way to teach your child about taking turns, strategise, focusing on a game and dealing with success and failure. More challenging games like chess acknowledges your child’s growing maturity and gives you more insight into your child's behaviour when presented with different situations.
6 Grow a plant with your child. It will be an interesting experience for your child to nurture something independently. This will instil discipline and responsibility in your child when they take care of plants.
7 Take a walk with your child to the park. Encourage them to observe the environment, people, plants and animals around you. Take this opportunity to teach your child about different species of plants and animals. Older children can be encouraged to explore nooks and crannies in parks by themselves. This turns a simple activity into an entertaining and educational time for both parent and child. It also stimulates your child’s curiosity and willingness to learn. And it is a confidence boost for a child who knows more than you do!

Making and Spending Time with Your Child is the Key

Spending quality time with your child is fundamental to building a strong and happy parent-child relationship, so be sure to allocate time for your child no matter how old they are or how busy you are.

To get started, you should:

  1. Set a time and date with your child for some parent-child bonding and stick to it.
  2. Give your child your undivided attention when engaging in activities.
  3. Take the opportunity to connect with your child as often as possible.

Making time for your child should be a lifelong effort to show your love and appreciation for your family members. Through this process, you will realise that parenthood is indeed a fruitful and enjoyable journey.

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