It’s that time again! School is back in session and we’re sending our kids off for whole days at a time to be in some stranger’s care.
As more of us parents are getting involved in our kids schedules, and kids are becoming busier, we decided to share our ideas of how to keep in touch with the kids, no matter how young or how old they might be.
1. White Board and Calendar/Communication Board
Setting up a communications station in a high-traffic area is a great idea. A whiteboard, a calendar, a computer—any central, accessible way to display a schedule and leave notes.
Try Martha Stewart’s chalkboard message centre tutorial or replicate this cool family command centre from the Container Store.
2. Lunch Notes
It may seem too precious, but putting a note into a kids’ lunch may just make their day. It doesn’t have to be long or stylized, just a quick “Hi, from Mom! Love You” can be enough.
You can use any kind of paper for these notes, or buy cute, pre-printed ones from LOL or download free printable notes from Joy McMillan at Simply Bloom and elsewhere. (Do a Pinterest search to find ones you love.)
3. Cell Phone
We love to hate them, but cell phones are our lifelines in this fast-paced technologically advanced world we live in. Thought a cell phone might not be appropriate for all kids, once they start trekking to and from school on their own we think it might not be a bad idea to look into one.
4. Family Meetings
Sometimes an old-fashioned family meeting is a necessity: to hash out issues, deal with scheduling conflicts, and just keep in touch.
Schedule it once a month, grab some takeout for dinner and really listen to your kids. You’ll find it helps them come to you more often if you prove you’ll listen to them when they have something to say.
5. Schedule Downtime/Find Opportunities to Talk
Make sure that in all the hub-bub of daily life and school, lunches, shopping, classes, practices, lessons, clubs, and playdates that you schedule in time to actually spend with the family.
Sometimes this downtime can be the walks or drives to and from school, or Sunday morning while you’re making breakfast. It doesn’t have to be hours on end, just a few minutes everyday that you’re talking and they’re talking and you actually listen to each other.
This article was updated in August 2015.
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