30 Ways to Connect with Your Kids

Research and countless parenting and child development specialists will tell you that connection is key in any relationship especially the parent-child relationship. Healthy, effective parenting is all about building and maintaining a strong connection but who has time for that? 

I get it. Adulting is hard. Add parenting to it and exhaustion is one of the first things that comes to mind. The truth is our methods create more work, anxiety and don’t get us to our parenting goals. 

So, Ashlee, what should I do? 

Well, learn about child development, drop your expectations of having the fictitious “perfect” child and make time and space to connect. I challenge you to use the list below and take the 30/30 Challenge (for 30 days take 30 minutes each day to connect). 

30 Ways to Connect with Your Kid: 

1. Dance together
2. Read together
3. Break bread and talk 
4. Make up stories together 
5. Skin to skin 
6. Breastfeed
7. Meditate together
8. Play whatever your kid wants
9. Share/ teach them your favorite hobby 
10. Go for a walk
11. Movie date
12. Make a fort
13. People watch
14. Play a board game
15. Cook a new meal together (even toddlers have fun in the kitchen)
16. Do chores together
17. Draw a family picture
18. Create a story
19. Play parachute with sheets
20. Play hide and seek
21. Visit a museum
22. Have a pillow fight 
23. Wrestle
24. Create a collage 
25. Take a bus/ train ride
26. Race
27. Count the money in the piggy bank 
28. Create a video
29. Play in a puddle
30. Go to a playground

​What would you add to this list?

Sources/Resources

• Dr. Asadah Kirkland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaTTV3-G6lc 
• Mercedes Samudio: Shameproofparenting.com
• Dr. Gordon Neufeld: https://youtu.be/vqzI5yvA-iA  
• Dr. Shevali Tsabary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY8auVv0BdM​