Dig out a favorite children’s book and read it together. There are lessons to be learned.
Spend a few minutes talking with your child at bedtime.
Encourage persistence by saying things such as “I know you can figure this out.”
Start a list of places your family would like to visit. Have your child research information about these places.
Give your child three reasons why spending time together makes you happy.
Discuss something you recently learned with your child. This shows education is a lifelong process.
Visit an outdoor site with your child this weekend, such as a garden or a park.
Challenge your child to create a recipe and write it down. Try it out!
Remind your child how important it is to turn in work. Just one missing assignment can lower a grade.
Talk together about your child’s dream job.
When your child is talking to you, tune everything else out and listen.
Serve your child breakfast in bed this weekend as a special treat.
Play board or card games as a family tonight.
Make a point of saying thank you when your child does something helpful, whether asked or unasked.
Have your child estimate how long it will take perform a task or travel somewhere, then do it to find the real answer.
Give your child a say in something, such as which movie to watch, what kind of pizza to order or which shirt to wear.
Suggest screen-free activities your child can do alone—crafts, reading or listening to music.
Enjoy some physical activity with your child. You’ll both get exercise— and it may lead to some interesting conversation.
Find a place to display things your child is proud of, such as awards and improved work.
Whenever possible, use positive phrases instead of pessimistic ones. Replace “It won’t work” with “Why don’t we try it?”