What Kids Want

Parenting can be a minefield. Are you children getting enough stimulation? Quality time? Social contact? There’s always something for parents to worry or feel guilty about.

Children today often have as busy a schedule as their parents, with the aim of becoming a well rounded person. Parents feel good when they think they have offered their children plenty of opportunities. They would be right, in many cases, but researchers recently asked a group of children what makes a good parent. The answers are in some ways exactly what you’d expect, and in others, they are entirely at odds with modern parenting.

What do you think matters most to your children? You driving them to lessons and practices, or is it the smile and hug you greet them with after school? If you guessed the latter, you are correct.

Over stimulating children can potentially leave them feeling overextended, stressed and tired. Children today are often involved in too many activities and are in turn becoming less in touch with themselves and their families.

Many children wish for more time to “just play”. Of course they enjoy their extra curricular activities, but didn’t need to do so many. What they enjoyed most, and what made their hearts happiest was when their parents did simple things for or with them.

The top 10 things children appreciate from their parents are as follows:

– A bedtime routine that includes a cuddle, a story or a chat.
– Hugs and kisses and time to talk.
– Spend time just with children as individuals, not always with siblings around.
– Healthy food regularly.
– Talks at the table over a meal and the chance to make plans together.
– Talks about important things; love, school, family etc.
– Free play outdoors
– Sit and watch tv with your child sometimes, rather than using it as a babysitter.
– Discipline. Boundaries help kids feel safe.
– Leave special messages in their lunch box or on their bed to know you are thinking of them.

Children’s wisdom can often surpass our own when it comes to the ‘big picture.’ The message from this list is that they need time and love. It is wonderful to help them develop into a person with a wide range of skills, but never forget, to them, you are their world. Stop and spend time. It is endlessly rewarding for both you and your child.  are incredibly wise and tend to see the world more simply than we do. Be satisfied with the fact that doing little things really is good enough.