Moreover , increased exposure to an overwhelmed and anxious parent seemed to make matters worse . Finally , the study showed that what did seem to make a difference in a child ’ s future was a mother ’ s education and parents ’ socioeconomic level .
I don ’ t doubt these findings . But I ’ m also dubious that it paints the full picture . I ’ ll never forget the day when my child brought home a drawing from school . When asked what she liked most about mom , she said she liked that I was always next to her and drew a picture of us in close proximity .
I wasn ’ t always next to her though . She attended preschool since she was 2 years old . And when I had work to do at home , I never did it with her in the same room . But I did try to sit next to her while doing laundry or filing papers . I tried to sit next to her as often as I could even if I couldn ’ t give her my full attention . When I asked my then second grader to tell me why she liked that I was “ always next to her ”, she told me she could share things with me faster when I was .
When it comes to spending time with our kids , quality may trump quantity . Only thing is , increased quantity time often leads to enhanced quality time . Sure , you can schedule one-on-one time to sit across your child at Baskin Robbins , making laser-focused eye contact while your phone remains turned off for the next 30 minutes . But your child may or may not feel like divulging what ’ s truly on her mind exactly between 6:30pm to 7:00pm .
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