How much 'quality time' do you actually spend with your children????

[Jazzicatz]

I know this has been done before, but was just wondering!

not enough
always too tired or too much to do.........atleast i admit it

How much would you say per day though chocolatemummy?

Not a lot. I very much leave them to their own devices when they are happy doing their own hting.
Took them to the cinema yesterday.
They are both playig out with their freinds rught now.

Depends what you mean by quality time really.

I don't think I spend enough one to one time with dd tbh (she's about to start Yr2) whereas I spend all day with ds atm - so from his pov it's all quality time I should think.

per day? sometimes I only se her for about an hour and a half awake and then its her bedtime but normally I will try and do some colouring or play with something or sit and watch wonderpets with her in the evening and we sit at the table and have dinner. its not much though because I now work full time

I'm amazed at how the day goes by and I wonder what I've done with them. I was a SALT in pre-kids life and used to advise parents to spend half-an hour a day one to one. I used to wonder why they couldn't do this, then I had my own!

not so much quality time here - more quantity. personally that's one of reasons why i wanted to sah. we spend a lot of time in each other's company, but as much as possible doing our own thing. i think with littlies it's more important to be available when they need you - whenever that may be - than to focus totally on them at a time of your choosing.

all that said though dp does a lot of one-on-one, more so since new baby.

Agree with mercy in that it depends on what you mean by quality time. The only one to one time my ds's get is when I read to them and bedtime probably. Not sure if that's what the OP means tho'.

you know when i say a time of your choosing it's rarely a choice but ykwim?

Not much usually as trying to do everything else, but I do take them out a lot to parks and cinema, soft play etc. Today I've made a concerted effort to play games with them seeing as it is peeing down outside. BUT, i HATE playing games, bores the arse off me. so far we've done buckaroo, scrabble, uno, snap .... I just hate it all, don't know why.

I'm now chilling with a glass of wine on MN .

Haven't seen 1 and 2 for very long today as they have been in their rooms all day apart from to eat. DOn't spend enough with them really. I am a SAHM but it is quantity not quality at the moment. Number 3 gets more cuddles and kisses.

sandyballs, hubby just brought me a glass of wine too.

sandyballs - I hate playing games too. Especially monopoly which seems to go on for ever.

I've never made a 'quality time' distinction.

i haven't introduced them to monopoly yet, maybe i won't ever . Scrabble is bad enough, the cheating and crying that goes on.

I don't beat myself up with 'quality time' any time is good.

yes weekends is our qualiy time, we take her out every weekend to parks, soft play swimming etc or meal at a pub she likes too, se loves nothing better than girly music on loud and me and her holding hands and dancing like mad together in the living room or simply a good tickle on the bed and playing with dollys-she is only 3 going on 4

Oh yes, definitely quantity. Do you think they'll remember that I was there when they came home from school or that I had my back turned on them in the kitchen while I prepared another healthy meal that they wouldn't eat?

One thing I'm convinced about though - they WILL remember that I took them to the park and they WON'T remember that the floor was never clean....

KTnoo
very well put

Its my job to work with families who are in crisis or having problems and almost all the children i speak to just want parents to play with them!

so many parents spend too much time
on the computer
on the phone
going out
cleaning
arguing
according to what kids say to me anyway

Thank you chocolatemumy. I should add, though, that as I write this my 18 month old is transferring wet washing from room to room. Maybe I should go and play with her now.

She seems quite happy though....

yes the simple things! lol
we do deserve som chill out time and a good chat on mumsnet is relaxing to me

As young children (not talking about toddlers) grow up they should also be able to play independently and organise themselves for some part of the day.

Mine have made a nice den all on their own.

That's interesting chocolatemummy. What age group of children do you mean?