Childhood is very brief. Children quickly go from needing you to help them brush their hair and tie their shoes to just picking them up from practice. By the time they’re 12, you’ve likely already exhausted more than 90% of the time you’ll get to spend with them. That’s a shocking majority!

Looking at your life in terms of memorable moments, you can start to see how quickly they can slip away. We have 365 days in a year. Even though you might see your child every day, you might only really spend quality time together, say, once a week. That’s just 52 times a year.

Once they start high school, they’re taking the first steps to becoming truly independent, and your time together becomes even smaller. As the years go by, they’ll be in your daily life less and less. Those 52 days a year might shrink down to a handful. If you don’t pause and enjoy the moment now, it will pass you by.

Making the most of your time together

Don’t let these intimidating numbers scare you. Instead, they should inspire you to take control of the wonderful position you’re in!

As a parent, you want to do everything you can to support and care for your child. Sometimes, that can just be making the effort to enjoy your time together.

Making time with your kids doesn’t have to be extravagant. Your everyday lives have plenty of opportunity waiting for you to seize the day and enjoy time spent with your child before they find their independence.

If you need a little help finding ways to carve out quality time, look no further than your daily life:

In the Kitchen

Have them help you cook dinner. It’s as much a necessity as it is an opportunity to spend time together. These valuable lessons can help promote strong bonds and create lasting family traditions.

In the Living Room

Spend time enjoying similar things, like movies and music. It will create a strong bond in the moment, and solidify loving memories you can always revisit on your own or together.

At school or social events

Even if you aren’t “dressed up,” take photos together. Seriously! You’re going to love the picture in a few years, even if you don’t love it right now.

Outside

Explore the world together. Some of your most precious memories will come from showing your kids the local sights for the first time, or spending time discovering the beauty of nature.

Wherever you are… be present.

The most important way to enjoy time with your children is to put your phone down. Nothing that’s happening in cyberspace is more amazing than watching your child grow and develop into a fully-formed human. This is the greatest show of all, so tune in for it!