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• Be A Part of Your Child’s Childhood, Not Apart From It

Your children only have one childhood, be a part of it.

“Family time is the best time”

If you are a working parent, balancing work and family may be an all too familiar struggle. Picture this, the weekend has arrived and after an arduous week at work, you just want to spend your downtime in front of the television, or on social media. Meanwhile, junior wants to de-stress from school by playing video games on his phone all day long. While downtime is important for rest, so is disconnecting from the media, and connecting with your children. Investing in familial relationships and prioritising family time has wonderful effects on your little one, and yourself. According to the Child Development Institute in the United States, besides making your child feel special and safe, spending time with your child helps greatly in bolstering their self-esteem. It enhances parent-child bonds, and diminishes the chances of anxiety caused by loneliness.

Weekdays for work, weekends for the family.

In between errands and schedules, finding spontaneous bursts of time to bring your child out for an excursion can be tough. One suggestion is to create a routine every weekend. Setting aside an allotted time for a specific event establishes a set schedule that can help you achieve balance. Excursion trips can be made to the zoo, the gardens, or to the beach for a fun full-day out. The options are endless.

If going outdoors every weekend is physically taxing for your child and yourself, there are alternative activities to spend time with your child indoors. We know, the weather can get hot. Invest in family-friendly board games and card games to play with your child. Choices include Monopoly Deal, UNO, Scrabble, Twister, Cluedo, etc. You could also involve your children in cooking or an enjoyable DIY project like paper mache, or designing their own T-shirts. Alternatively, utilise the power of imagination and engage in imaginative-play with your child such as, role-playing games.

Family comes first.

“Your phone has already replaced your watch, alarm clock and calendar. Don’t let it replace your family.”

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It goes without saying, family is important. Our smartphone devices have helped us tremendously in communication and efficiency, nevertheless, sometimes disconnection is all we need for reconnection. If your child is spending too much time on his/her device, consider using the plano app. Besides helping to monitor and manage your child’s screen time, we also believe in spending time with your children outdoors to enhance family bonding.