All parents want to have a great relationship with their kids. However, as kids grow older, they usually tend to drift further and further away from their parents, usually because they want to make decisions for themselves, and they’re trying to explore their independence.
However, this doesn’t mean that your relationship has to suffer! The summer vacation is actually a great way to reconnect with your child, and bond with them. Here are some tips
Being close with your kids takes time
The first thing that you have to understand would be that it would take some time before you and your kids grow close, especially if you’re a family that’s not particularly vocal about their feelings and about their emotions.
The important thing to remember is to respect your children, and don’t force your kids to bond with you, since that could only create further conflict, and even bring you further apart.
And speaking of time, it’s important to not just limit your interactions to your kids while they’re on their summer vacation. Every opportunity that you get to talk to your kids should be an opportunity to bring yourself closer to them; tell them stories about when you were younger, and make them feel that you’re a friend that they can talk to.
Trust your kids, so that they can trust you
Parents tend to have a habit of being paranoid, and sometimes this makes their children feel that their parents don’t trust them at all, which leads to a lot of problems.
Since it’s the summer, you can try and have some fun activities that build trust! You can go to various workshops that offer a great family bonding experience, or for older kids who are thrill seekers, you can go hiking or climb a mountain.
These types of activities help foster camaraderie with your kids, and they’ll be comfortable trusting you with their secrets and their feelings. In turn, you should also learn to trust your kids, sometimes they can even be the ones that you can go to whenever you have problems! Kids are surprisingly smart, and you should never underestimate them.
Talk to each other
The most basic part of improving a relationship would be dialogue. Talk to your kids, and let them talk to you. Listen to what they’re saying, and try to put yourself in their shoes so that you can better understand how they feel about certain situations and certain things in their life.
You were young once, so you know how unsure they can sometimes feel about themselves and about the world around them. Sometimes, you just need to be less of a parent, and be more of a friend to your child.
Also, if your child throws a tantrum, don’t immediately get mad at them. Try to understand where they’re coming from, and understand that kids have a different mindset from adults. The things that tick them off might not necessarily be the same as the things that tick you off, so as the parent, you need to be more understanding and extend your patience.
Hopefully, you and your kids can learn a lot from each other this summer, and become closer in the process.
Source: ahaparenting.com
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