Whether you’re a veteran parent, a new mom or dad, or building a kids’ baseball team, there’s one thing we all have in common – learning to connect with children.

However, with busy jobs, extracurricular activities, and other responsibilities, you may sometimes feel like you’re coming up short. This blog post discusses the importance of making time to connect with your kids and helpful ways to do so as they grow from toddlers to pre-teens.

What does it mean to connect with kids?

When you hear the word connection, you may automatically think of the physical aspect. However, connecting with your kids is more than simply being physically available to them. It’s a combination of being both physically and emotionally present.

You might say, “Well, I’m with my kids all the time.” This may be true, but is your body physically inhabiting a space while your mind is elsewhere? Being present means you’re engaged in the here and now rather than mentally absent or distracted.

Connecting with toddlers (1-3)

Connecting with younger kids (4-8)

Connecting with pre-teens (9-12)