Being a parent is a lifelong journey and we usually have no option to quit on the way. It is not an easy job and unfortunately, lots of the time, we didn’t get a “parenting 101” before we became a parent. We didn’t get a handbook about our babies when they came to our world. We are all fresh hands and didn’t get a chance to practice all the necessary skills to do our job properly.

I have a 12-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter. Looking back over the years, it is a journey with so much excitement, happiness, joy, growth, surprise, achievement, and appreciation, together with the same or even higher amount of frustration, sadness, disappointment, anger, self-doubt, concerns, regrets, and struggles. I would like to quote what my said told me: mom, you became a mom the moment when I was born. So you are the same age as I am and you are not even one minute older. I am ok if you make mistakes, and I hope you are ok too when I do. We grow older together and we grow up together.

Being a parent is challenging, yet way more rewarding. There are many things you can do with your children to make your relationship with them nurturing and inspiring. Here I am sharing 24 small moments you can do throughout a day to connect with your children in a meaningful and positive way.

1.      Gently kiss or pat your children to wake them up in the morning for school. Tell them that you love them.

2.      Compete with your children and see who dress up faster in the morning.

3.      Make compliments about your children having their clothes ready the night before and tell them that it is a very important habit.

4.      Hum a song of your favorite in the morning while cooking, showering, or even in the hallway to convey a relaxing and joyful spirit for your children to start their day.

5.      Open the curtains and express gratitude for a fresh new day. Tell your children that you are grateful for having a job to go to and expecting to meet someone new.

6.      Do some warmup activities with your children after getting out of the bed, such as stretch or pushups, and make it a routine.

7.      Invite your children to participate your breakfast preparation, such as make a toast or heat up milk.

8.      Put a note secretly into your children’s backpacks with a good quality that you appreciate them and that you love them.

9.      Encourage your children to look at themselves in mirror before leaving home to make sure they are properly dressed, and they are excited, confident, and fully refreshed for the day.

10.  Greet your partner first and then kiss your children when get home from work, letting them know that their parents are in love.

11.  Train your children to hand over indoor shoes or put away purses when you and partner come back home from work.

12.  Put your phone in silent mode and tell your children that you do it because you really value your time with them.

13.  Share with your children about your day at work, something meaningful or interesting.

14.  Listen attentively to your children’s sharing with no interruption. Provide advice at the end when needed and asked.

15.  Do sports with your children and encourage them to stick to them.

16.  Set up a time and choose a proper channel/ program/movie if your children want to watch TV. Sit beside to keep them company in case they want a discussion with you.

17.  Express appreciation for the food and the person who prepares the food at mealtime.

18.  Make it a routine to read together with your children to nurture heart and soul.

19.  Play parallel or interactive fun games together with your children, such as puzzling, riddling, or hide and seek, etc.

20.  Inspire your children to find some words of wisdom of others or themselves’. Ask them to write them and post them somewhere easy to spot around the house.

21.  Train your children to have a healthy routine and help them maintain it.

22.  Check if your children have made preparation for the next day, such as clothes, backpacks, and school supplies.

23.  Summarize your children’s day by pointing out what they have done well and what not. Tell them that they are fully forgiven for their mistakes.

24.  Tell a relaxing and joyful bedtime story to your children before bed, tuck them in, kiss them, and say good night.

Through these moment, we plant the seeds of happiness intentionally,  water them regularly, wait patiently, and enjoy freely when they bloom.