Episode 18: The Big Kid Video
Happy Mother's Day! We hope you had a lovely day celebrating yourself. You deserve it after all the time and energy you've put into raising your kiddos!
For those of you that aren't momma's we salute and love you too!
Since it's Mother's Day, we thought it would be appropriate to discuss our big kids and what we can do to ensure our relationships with our kids continue to thrive and grow through out their lives, no matter how old they are.
So get ready! In Episode 17 of Life after Kids with Drs. Brooke and Lynne, we're discussing BIG KIDS!
Obviously, the relationship we have with our teens and adult kids looks much different than it did when they were little. They aren't crawling up onto our lap anymore for snuggles or kisses. And, they likely aren't asking us to read them a story book before bed. But, the relationships we have with our kids at this stage can be even more meaningful. We can have deep conversations about all kinds of topics. We can laugh with them and give them practical advice. We can do fun adult activities that we couldn't do when they were little. There are so many great memories to be made with our kids in this phase of life.
We've put together a few tips to help you foster great relationships with your Big Kids:
Meet your kids where they are. Do activities with them that they enjoy and do it on their terms. You don't have to like it. Just show up for them and do the thing that makes them happy. This is all about your child, not you. And, when your child is happy, you'll be happy. Plus, you never know, you just might end up enjoying an activity that you never thought you'd like.
When spending time with your child, step aside, bite your tongue, and let them do things their way. They'll figure it out. They all want to feel independent and in control of themselves.
Find things to do with them that will also help them develop life skills. Cooking or baking is an example
Find ways to have "FORCED FAMILY FUN" . Meaning, find things to do that your kids have to be present for and can't escape from. Things that have little to no distractions. And preferably, things where they have little access to technology and wifi. For ex. skiing, boating, hiking, fishing, golfing, or mani/pedis.
For more about building relationships with big kids and to learn about what Dr. Brooke and Dr. Lynne love doing with their own kids, watch this week's episode of Life after Kids with Drs. Brooke and Lynne. And remember, it's important to be intentional about making memories with our grown kids. Time moves fast, and if we don't schedule time or set goals for being with our family, we might miss out on precious moments we could be spending with them. In the words of Dr. Lynne...
"It's a wish and a prayer unless its written down and there's intention behind it."
