Struggling with your child’s bad behavior/outbursts?

Have a teen with whom you are feeling disconnected with?

Have a toddler who is constantly nagging you for attention and just won’t leave you alone?

This week we are all about positive parenting strategies to help improve the tone and feel in your household and in your relationships. Today’s #lazyparentinghack is CARVE OUT TIME.

This one can be simple if you do it in a regular basis. That’s because the more often it happens the less time it actually requires because your relationships are overall healthy and happy. Think of it more as a maintenance thing, if things are going well. The key is to not let it slide otherwise it can begin to feel overwhelming.

So what can this look like? A favorite in our house is going for walks. Every day my husband walks before bed. It’s a healthy habit he has that has also turned out to be a really effective way for him to connect with everyone in the family. He always asks if anyone wants to join him. And more often than not someone does.

Another easy way is to use the time you spend driving kids around to connect. We have a rule of no phones in use in the car. Meaning that kids aren’t allowed to play games, text, or scroll social while being driven around. I think it’s rude. So, this means we have lots of time to chat about their days, share stories of things that happened and even turn the radio on really loud and sing along together (one of my favorite things to do). Creating fun experiences that build our connection together is the goal. Them seeing me as a crazy & goofy person is part of that. Them not on their phones but rather engaging with me is a way for them to show me they appreciate what I am doing for them.

A third example of a way to carve out time is to steal moments throughout the day. If you were to wake up a bit earlier maybe you could sit with your kids at breakfast to chat. If your kids are more receptive at night, maybe you can try to be available at bedtime to climb into bed with them and read a story and talk about their day.

Carving out time doesn’t have to be a big and arduous thing. There are lots of ways to connect in meaningful ways with your kids that don’t require hours of time or elaborate plans. Think about your schedule and see if you can find little snippets of time to connect with each of your children 1 on 1. Remember, our children want to be seen, heard, and acknowledged. Most bad behaviors come from them feeling a lack of these things. Carving out time can help and I guarantee will make a difference in your relationship.

Xoxo