This past week my parents took two of my kids with them to see Disney On Ice. My 5-year-old son, Judah, chose not to go because he thought it would take too long. So it was just him and our 2-year-old at home for the evening. 

Over the course of the evening, he built skyscrapers out of blocks, told a 45-minute story that he made up, and watched two episodes of his favorite TV show with his daddy. From the smile on his face and the excitement in his voice, it was obvious he was having a pretty great evening. 

The whole evening served as a huge reminder that we need to take more time to hang out with our kids individually. One of us will take a kid out to dinner or dessert now and then, but that isn’t always logistically or financially feasible to do often. So how can we be more consistent in focusing on individual time with our kids? I’ll share a few options I have either done in the past or want to try in the near future.

Room time

I have done this in the past, and I would love to do it on a more regular basis. In the evening after dinner, I took one of the kids upstairs while the rest of the kids played downstairs with Carlos. He/she can choose whatever game or toy he/she wants to play with and we will play together. Even if we only play for 20 minutes, the kids love it! 

Let them stay up longer at bedtime

Choose a day or let your child choose a day of the week they can stay up a little later than normal. Staying up just 15 minutes later is enough to make a child feel special. 

A partner while running errands

I almost always offer to take one of the kids with me when I am running errands in the evening or on the weekend. The time with just them is often a great time to talk. Sometimes, if I am feeling generous, I might stop and get them a special drink or treat on the way home.

Special times out

I do think there is a time for an ice cream cone or a special dinner out, however, it fits into your budget — maybe on their birthday or to celebrate special accomplishments.  

How do you make time to spend one-on-one with your kids?