Proven ways to bond with your child

It’s crucial that parents develop a strong bond with their kids. And this bond need not end when children have grown older and have become more independent. Parents need to build this connection early and keep that bond ongoing through or care, guidance, and love. In so doing, they prepare their children for the outside world, make them more confident, and help them achieve success, says RockerMama’s community of mothers.

One way to form a strong and lasting connection with your kids is by reading to them. Storytime is not just about exposing them to good stories and poems but is an opportunity to foster eye contact, cuddle them, and become generally more emotionally connected. Don’t take for granted reading as a quality, bonding time.

On a more tactile level, parents much do their best to connect with them via physical touch. You can hug them, play piggyback, hold their hands. Such little gestures are associated with feelings of love, compassion, and gratitude, and are especially important when children are struggling with their emotions.

Cooking together is another proven form of bonding. Research shows that having kids involved in meal preparation will help decrease behavioral problems. It may be time-consuming at first to have kids poking around in the kitchen, but these seemingly inconvenient efforts will be worth it in the long run, especially as they become adults themselves and discuss their concerns with you while preparing dinner.

Finally, go out with them and experience the great outdoors. Not only is communing with nature with your family a proven way to relieve stress, but it also makes your children less restricted and more likely to share their concerns. You can begin by walking and riding bikes with them in your neighborhood to both improve your emotional and physical health while fostering better connections, RockerMama advises.

RockerMama is a community with a mission to a provide a practical solution to one of the most exhausting demands of motherhood—rocking babies to sleep. At the same time, it intends to meet, inspire, and support its community of women united by motherhood. For more motherhood-related tips, go to this page.