At one time or another, every single parent fears that they aren’t connecting with their kids. When work, chores, and other daily toils overwhelm your schedule, you might start to worry that you don’t spend enough time with them or that you don’t even know them as well as you should. This anxiety can be almost paralyzing. That being said, this issue needn’t last forever – It can be resolved, even with a busy lifestyle. Here are six ways for you to connect with your children.

1. Ask About Their Life

The most basic way to bond with your children is to talk to them. Make sure you tell them about your day and always ask about theirs. You should also try to remember everything that they say. After all, if they bring up the conversation again, and you can’t recall important facts, it can seem like you don’t care. Ensure you give them your undivided attention by turning your phone silent.

2. Give Them A Hug

Not everyone is raised as a hugger. If you were brought up in a family that didn’t exhibit touching behaviour, then you might not feel comfortable being close to others, even your own children. However, that doesn’t change the fact that humans need touch, especially to increase their trust in people. Because of this, you should try giving your little ones a snuggle now and then.

3. Learn About Their Interests

Your child may not be a good “talker”, in which case, it can help to engage in activities with one another. For this to happen though, you need to learn a little bit more about their interests. If they’re a fan of baseball, for example, you could watch a few games, or, if they like LEGO, you can check out LEGO Ways. This shows that you’re invested in spending quality time with them.

4. Find A Common Passion

Whatever it is that your child enjoys doing, you should try not to judge them for it. As long as they’re not hurting anyone, there’s no reason for you to be concerned or stop them from doing it. However, that doesn’t mean that you need to force yourself to like it too. If you can’t find common ground with their hobbies, then work together to find something that you both want to do.

5. Act Like Their Parent

There’s no feeling greater than knowing that you’re your child’s friend. Unfortunately, it can be easy to take this too far. As close as you and your little one may be, you must remember that you’re their parent first. Your primary goal is to ensure that your kids grow up safely, happily, and healthily. If you sacrifice this to seem cool or fun, you can push your child even further away.

6. Never Use Their Guilt

Although you should make it clear that you want to spend time with your child, you shouldn’t guilt them into doing so. This is a cheap trick and is one that will only cause resentment in the long run. Kids can be challenging, and as such, may hold out for a while before they show any interest in wanting to connect with you. But, even so, you should keep trying until they do.

The bond you have with your kids will always be there, but, with these tips, you should find to a little easier to connect with them.