Timing when your child will need you most is as difficult as timing the stock market . Every good investor knows you need to spread your net wide over a long period of time and ride out those down periods in order to catch those ups . Parenting is similar this way : you can ’ t time when your child will be vulnerable or feel triumphant . Simple statistics dictates that the more quantity time you make , the more opportunities you ’ ll have for quality time . For one , quantity time builds trust because building any relationship takes time . And quantity time has a special way of telling your child she ’ s valued because time is the most valuable asset we have .
Creating more time to spend with your child , though , is no easy feat for the busy modern parent . Not to mention that more quantity time with a parent stretched so thin could be more harmful than beneficial . Notwithstanding the need for balance , the idea that quantity and quality time are mutually exclusive seems short-sighted .
If there ’ s anything this quarantine has showed us , it ’ s that we can do surprisingly more remotely . And this may be an important turning point for many companies who may have once been reluctant to let employees work from home . Whether you will be allowed that flexibility or not , there are small efforts that can manifest big changes in how much exposure we have with our kids , and ultimately impact the quality of quality time we share with them . Here are at least five places to start .
• Work together . Now that kids are being homeschooled , work alongside your child doing something that doesn ’ t require your full concentration . This obviously depends on the age of your child , as it would be close to impossible to accomplish even the most menial tasks chasing a restless toddler . But if your child is old enough to do a page of homework , bring down your laundry and file receipts next to your child .
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