Making the Most of Time Together

The typical family runs on a very full schedule. Between work, school and family obligations, there are many demands on a parent's time. It is hard to balance so much, but even the most mundane chores are opportunities to connect with your children.

Even the best Brookline child care center is no substitute for one on one time between a parent and child. The value of time spent with your youngster outside their Boston child care center is beyond measure. It is a opportunity to strengthen family ties and nurture your child's self-esteem.

Making the most of your time together

It's impossible to add more hours to the day, so how can busy parents find more for their kids? Reframing how time is spent makes the difference. Shift the focus from the task to performing the task together. Your to-do list may not shorten, but your bond with your child will benefit.

A perfect candidate for reframing a mundane task is lunch preparation. At first, shopping for or making food for your child to bring to their Brookline child care program seems routine. There is so much more than a sandwich and fruit that fills that lunch bag, however.

Involving kids in the process by making the trip to the grocery store or packing food together for them to bring to their Boston child care center gives the task new meaning.

The following are simple ways to involve your child in making a lunch to bring to their Brookline child care program:

· Making the shopping list - Ask your child what foods they would you like to include.

· Selecting food - Invite your child to retrieve items from your list and put them in your cart. Make a game of counting the number of items you have.

· Paying for the food - Have your child give the cashier your coupons or payment for the groceries. Count the money together as you pay or receive change.

· Putting groceries away - Involve your child in sorting the groceries and identifying where everything goes.

· Food preparation - Wash, slice or cook food together with your child. Discuss what you are doing - what does the food smell like, what colors does your child see, how many of each item do you have?

· Packing lunch - Pack items in their bag for the next day's return to their Boston child care center.

The benefits:

By participating in simple tasks such as packing a lunch, children develop so many skills. From the experience, they learn:

1. Their opinion matters
2. Their presence is important
3. Healthy food choices are important
4. Food choices reflect their family's heritage
5. Counting
6. Spatial skills
7. Sorting

Finding the very best Brookline child care for your little one is important, but making the most of routine family moments is as well. Including your child in everyday tasks is a great way to stay connected.

About the Author:
Jane Bartlett is a retired educator who spent much of her career in leading
Brookline preschool programs and providing daycare in Brookline. She now writes extensively on early education issues and remains active locally in Brookline's preschool community.