The Gift of Time

“The best thing parents can spend on their children is time, not money." –Anonymous

Anonymous is credited with a great deal of wisdom. This bit of information is backed by current research. A report in the journal Child Development about research conducted with two and three year old children which shows that the quality of time a parent (especially fathers) spends with their children predicts the quality of the child’s language and cognitive development. The Chicago Longitudinal Study begun in 1967, still ongoing has found that parent involvement helps children’s success in school.

Make plans to spend time with the children in your life during this Holiday season. Instead of so many expensive gifts give your child the gift of time. Some of our best memories come from family traditions and rituals around the Holidays. Children who benefit from the gift of time make better grades in school, are less likely to engage in risky behaviors, and more likely to be competent problem solvers. Besides, it’s fun!

Do you have certain things that you do each year to get ready for the Holidays? Cutting a fresh Christmas tree from a farm, decorating the tree with family members, visiting people who are shut in, making special foods, reciting special stories? These events become part of the sense of history which teaches your culture and values to your growing child.

Parents and children can exchange coupons for gifts of time with each other instead of material gifts. How about coupons for walks in the park, a fishing trip, stories to be read or told, bike rides together? These activities foster closer parent and child relationships and encourage the child to grow in healthy ways.

Try some of these ideas or others with your children this Season… the results are worth the effort!