Great Ways to Bond with Your Child

“Doesn’t that take a lot of energy?” Parenting is a big job; serving as a child’s behavior umpire isn’t enough. We need a relationship where we can tell Johnny it’s wrong to hit your sister but then find out why he struck her. We need a relationship with enough emotional strength to share hopes, dreams and convictions and be heard when we do so. We need a relationship that makes it easy for them to come to us with questions and concerns. We need a relationship where there’s not just respect, but also love. 

Here are some tips.

• Pray, pray, pray.

• Prioritize time with your child.

• Start with trust, the foundation of every good relationship.

• Encourage, Encourage, Encourage.

• Remember that respect must be mutual.

• Think of relationships as the slow accretion of daily interactions.

• Don’t take it personally.

• Communication habits start early.

• Don’t let little rifts build up.

  If something’s wrong between you, find a way to bring it up and work it through positively.

• Read a good book together.

• Teach them something fun.

• Take a long walk together.

This kind of parent-child bond doesn’t just happen; it takes wisdom and intentional effort. I hope these tips will encourage you in one of the greatest pursuits of your lifetime — building a relationship with your child.