Special Time Ideas

05 February 2009

Special Time Part 2
by Susan
(Melissa threw in a few ideas)
We all know the saying—“actions speak louder than words”. Here are some actions or ideas to show our children the love that will fill up their emotional tanks to help them feel our unconditional love that we have for them. Remember, it doesn't have to cost anything; a child spells love T-I-M-E.

*Go get an ice cream cone. $1 scoop night at Baskin Robbins is our favorite. (It's on Tuesdays here)


*Go for a walk, bike ride, scooter it or go on a drive.



*Go to the $1.00 store, and tell them they can pick ANY one item throughout the whole store!!

*Go to the park or their school playground and play with them. There is nothing my son loves more than for me to be the emperor and he's Luke Skywalker and I have to catch him. Talk about a workout! :)
*Go to the library and read books to them…only for them.


*Go to lunch, or surprise them at school right before school lunch and go somewhere.

*Surprise them in the early morning, and take them to breakfast!
*My daughter loves me to color with her, so we just drive somewhere and color together.
*Another daughter loves her nails painted…so we go sit in the car somewhere and paint.
*go on a "coin" walk. Start walking down the street, and whenever you get to a corner or stopping point, flip the coin, if it's heads go right, tails go left and see where it takes you!
*My son loves to shoot hoops…so we’ll go to the park and shoot together.

*get a $1 McDonalds ice cream cone, sit outside on the benches and play my car, your car. (choose a number and when that many cars pass, that's "your" car. This can get very funny.)

*Feed the ducks.

*Fly a kite.*Toss a Frisbee
* When I was a kid at school, I always looked at the door when someone came in, and wished it was my mom to surprise me and take me away from school. I didn't hate school, I just thought it sounded great to have her just want to take me away and go somewhere. So, not too long ago I bought two donuts, and ran to my son's school. Told the front I just needed him for a few minutes, and pulled him out of his class...he was totally surprised, and we just talked and ate a donut together. It was fun planning it and surprising him. (And then he went back to class!!)

*I think the conversation is as important as going and doing the special time in itself. Let go of everything else that is on your mind (this takes practice as all of us mother's tend to have LOTS on our minds) and just listen to them as you focus solely on them. It's amazing the feeling you feel and they feel as you both connect eyes and talk positive and uplifting words.
Some things we talk about are "favorite things". Their favorite color, food, car, animal, music, flower, movie, ideas, or inventions they may be thinking about. It's amazing of how much they want to share when they know they have your full attention. We talk about dreams, vacations, the future...the ideas are where ever they want to go with the conversation.
*For older kids…all of the above will work.
*Get creative…think of something that interest your child and go out and do it!


Remember, A Child Spells Love…T-I-M-E!
Help us think of more~please give your ideas in the comments!

10 comments

  1. Those are great ideas. Your right, older kids still like to do all the things you did with them when they were small.
    Have a great day.
    Sandra

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  2. yeah, my mommy dates last around an hour. in fact, my 5 year old thinks that her date isn't complete unless she has a new pair of shoes... oops.
    but, one of our FAVORITE ideas is to go to a make-up counter and get FREE make-overs. the ladies are usually really nice as they do up my little one... once, as she was applying the black and emerald green eyeshadow that my 6 year old picked she asked if we were going out that night. UM, NO. i explained that this was the date... thankfully we were heading HOME.

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  3. Those are great idea! I do think that one on one time is so special and so important!

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  4. such great ideas! love the one of surprising them at school! how cool is that!?

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  5. Love your posts about Special time with kids. We NEED to do this! Each of my older boys will still remember and talk about the time just the two of us did something together. Those are memories that never leave them!

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  6. This is wonderful!! Thank you for the post. I think we all get caught up in the day-to-day things and forget to take the time to do the little things that make life so great! Time is ticking and we can't go back! So this post is so great to remind us of these sweet and simple things we can do with our little ones... starting now! Thanks again....
    Tiffany - The Childrens Nest

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  7. Great ideas! I like to take Hannah to the mall and use the free fingernail polish samples at Saphora's and let her pick whatever colors she wants for her finger nails. Each nail ends up being a different color and she loves it! Also we play a game called "What If" where we ask each other questions that begin with what if for example "What if everyone in the world was nice all the time?" and then take turns answering each others what if questions. It's a great way to see what your child is thinking about and how they see the world.

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  8. Great ideas! I love the donut one. I can just imagion all the mom's comming one by one after reading this and pulling their kid out for a donut. . . .the office ladies are going to think we're nuts!

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  9. Jenifer~why don't you let her leave the makeup on for church?? C'MON!! :)

    Sara~what a great question~I'll have to remember that one. Great idea for the nail polish too!

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