Every night my husband spends about twenty minutes with our son before he goes to bed. While they both enjoy reading books during this time it’s really just an excuse to talk. The consistency of the encounter creates a time for deeper conversation, sometimes about general topics and sometimes specific. Our son knows that this is a time he can talk about things he’s thinking about with his dad. When we think about our busy family schedules and finding more dedicated time with our kids we can fall into the trap, “Where can I add more?” But when you ask yourself this question, consider that it doesn't have to be something new. What if you looked at your schedules and decided to utilize the time that's already there?
Do you spend a lot of time in the car together? Do you and your family sit down together for dinner every night? Do you have a bedtime routine with your children? You don't need to reinvent your schedule to carve out intentional time with your kids. Help guide your child/children using the existing time together that is already a part of your family schedule to build a greater relationship with them. Ask them about their day. Speak words of encouragement. Ask them about things that are happening in their world.
It's never too late to start making your already existing time together more intentional.
