The time with your child should be considered holy for both you and your child.

It is holy for you

Don’t take calls. Let the answering machine do its job. Listen for who is calling, or - even better - ask another member of the family or another child to take the calls and say that you will call back in an hour.

Don’t allow distractions. If you have a TV, turn it off. He will feel far more important if he realizes that you are devoting your full attention to him, and that nobody else is more important. When you think about it, you will realize that that is the case, and that a good many of your other activities are indeed less important

It is holy for your child

Your child should know that he cannot schedule visits. No going over to friends during that time, and request that he should not accept phone calls, so that he sees that it also has to come from him, not only from his Dad. He should skip that special TV show.

Of course, you or your child may accept certain phone calls that you cannot refuse. In this way a child can see that unexpected guests ware unavoidable, or that a call from another child who has something to tell you is also important. However, this should not be the time to accept business or social calls. The child should see that he is more important than your boss or your good friend.

Since each child is different, there is obviously no “ideal” or “optimal” amount of quality time to offer each child. You may also be better at offering other things to your child such as sports, which are also important. Your child can also decide how much time to spend together.

Talking to your children can be very relaxing. It can help you to get to know them better. Some parents make a point of selecting a line of work that offers more than usual time at home with the children, or that will help the parents make himself available for the children at times which are convenient for them.

Of course, this means, that Dad may have to limit other social activities or the time that is spent on his own hobbies. Some parents share some of their hobbies with their older children, and they may talk about them.