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Bond Your Busy Family in Five Minutes or Less

25 fixes that only take five minutes

by Susan Newman, Ph.D.  |  675 views  |  3 comments  |        Rate this now! 

16.) Leave a message in their lunchbox. Plain napkins are perfect for humorous drawings or messages of love.

17.) Keep track of how your children are growing by using different colored pencils to date and mark an out-of-the-way wall.

18.) Inscribe all books you give your children with loving messages and the date.

19.) Leave congratulatory notes in your children's room, schoolbooks, or on the kitchen counter for them to find.

20.) If you're getting home late, call in your good night kiss and promise an in-person one as soon as you arrive.

21.) Spend five minutes before dinner tossing a baseball or kicking a soccer ball around. It's a great way to relax and start a conversation.

22.) Take your child for an unexpected treat, like and ice cream or doughnut, after visiting the doctor.

23.) Invite the children to lick the beaters or bowl whenever you bake.

24.) Start a pillow fight.

25.) Involve your children when making plans for the upcoming weekend.

About the Author

Susan Newman is a social psychologist and the author of 13 books about parenting, family issues and relationships. For details, check out her websites: www.susannewmanphd.com and www.thebookofno.com. Susan blogs for Psychology Today Magazine at: Singletons - http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/singleton.

Read more by Susan Newman, Ph.D.

Leave a comment

3 comments so far...

  • Great ideas and suggestions, Thank you!

    Flag as inappropriate Posted by Daisy on 23rd March 2008

  • Thank you for this! I've printed it out for myself! As a single parent with three children, sometimes I feel as though we don't have enough "bonding time"..... We do a lot of what you suggest, but there are others that we haven't yet, but we will! :-)

    Flag as inappropriate Posted by BlapherMJ on 20th March 2008

  • What wonderful suggestions. Sometimes it's hard to come up with new ways to let kids know they are special to us.

    Flag as inappropriate Posted by mamajama on 13th March 2008

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