Raising Humans #3-Quality Time-Parenting with EQ

Finding Quality Time in a Busy World

Welcome to the third installment our “Raising Humans” podcast! Finding focused, one-on-one time to spend outside of distractions and outside stimulation can be hard in our rush-rush, stay-busy culture. Those moments when you feel connected and in the same “zone” with your child are some of the most precious times in life. 

Can making quality time a priority and scheduling it actually cause it to feel more like a chore for parent and child? Is there pressure to make it special in this era of rising stress?  How do you make space for spontaneous sharing and fun? In our third podcast we hear from a parent who really wants to connect more with her youngster, but life keeps getting in the way, and he has his own ideas about what spending time with mom is all about.

“Rebecca” is a busy lawyer who loves her job, and her 8 year-old son Trevor. She feels like any time they are alone together, it should be quality time because these moments are so rare. In the car, commuting the hour to and from school is one of the few times they have, and she has decided that is their mom/kid time. She gets upset when he chooses to read on the way there, and on the way back doesn’t feel like talking. She is upset, disappointed, and sad. What can she do to express her feelings without causing him to feel guilty for reading?

We explore ways of connecting with children on their terms, and creating moments where unstructured, playful time can nurture closeness and bonding.

At Six Seconds we talk a lot about building empathy. So often as parents, we feel love and compassion for our kids, but we also feel the weight of our role as teacher, role model, and disciplinarian. Amidst that, and the schedules we seem to feel compelled to fill up, finding time to listen deeply to your child and ask good questions can take a back seat. Here are some resources for building empathy and enhancing emotional literacy.

Enhance Emotional Literacy

EQ for Families: Emotional Literacy Workshop

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