Child Activities for Parents During Your Visitation
Having the time you can spend with your kids is split with the other parent can change the dynamic between the two of you. Your relationship hasn’t changed but it may seem difficult to figure out what to do with your kids during the time you’re supposed to have with them. You’re not supposed to be a one man band but some parents feel bad when they’re kids come to their house for the weekend and find themselves bored. Aside from the daily activities that go on during the weekly course of events like school or work, it’s good to go out and have fun with your children and just do something with them. This helps you get closer to them and provides both of you with some good bonding time. If you’re just starting to develop a relationship with your kids and don’t really know what they’re into, you may be scratching your head about what to do with them. If you find yourself stuck, here are some ideas to jump-start things:
- Smaller Children. Kids that are younger are a little easier to find activities for. One of the main things small children like to do is mimic their parents. If they see you watering the lawn, most likely they will pick up a watering can and do what you’re doing. But something as simple as going to the park and playing on the swings or washing your car or small stuff around the house can be a great way to connect with your child.
- Older Children. Activities with older kids can be a little more challenging to dream up. As kids get older they want to be more independent. As a parent this can get a little frustrating in the way that they might express this desire (teens or pre-teens acting out etc.). It’s imperative to spend time with them and maintain your relationship with them in those crucial adolescent years. Going to the movies is a great way to get out of the house together and have some fun. Some parents might not have a certain flare in the kitchen, this is traditionally the case with a single father but this isn’t about stereotypes; making a mess in the kitchen, even if the end result isn’t very good, is still a fun activity to do together. Get creative with your ideas.
In some cases a child will identify one parent over the other as the fun parent or might prefer your ex’s house over yours, this can be especially true with smaller children but not always; a teenager might prefer the mother or father’s house if they have more freedom at one place than the other. Regardless, you can’t let this kind of stuff get in your way. Obviously you can’t force your kids to do anything, they should want to hang out with you. Attune yourself to their wants and needs and you’ll find that you won’t have to try very hard to find things to do together. Find out what they like to do, what kind of music they like to listen to, what kind of movies they like etc. When you put one foot in front of the other, you’ll find the rest will follow.
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This is a great resource for single dad’s like me! Thank you!