Features
The Gift of Time
Jinny Hopp, Human Development Specialist, Jasper County, University of Missouri Extension
“The best thing parents can spend on their children is time, not money." –Anonymous
Anonymous is credited with a great deal of wisdom.
However, the above
bit of information is backed by current research. A
report in the journal Child Development about research
conducted with two and three year old children which
shows that the quality of time a parent (especially
fathers) spends with their children predicts the quality
of the child’s language and cognitive development. The
Chicago Longitudinal Study begun in 1967, which is still ongoing,
has found that parent involvement helps children’s
success in school.
Make plans to spend time with the children in your life
during this holiday season. Instead of so many expensive
gifts give your child the gift of time. Some of our best
memories come from family traditions and rituals around
the holidays. Children who benefit from the gift of time
make better grades in school, are less likely to engage
in risky behaviors, and more likely to be competent
problem solvers. Besides, it’s fun!
Do you have certain things that you do each year to get
ready for the holidays? Cutting a fresh Christmas tree
from a farm, decorating the tree with family members,
visiting people who are shut in, making special foods,
reciting special stories? These events become part of
the sense of history which teaches your culture and
values to your growing child.
Parents and children can exchange coupons for gifts of
time with each other instead of material gifts. How
about coupons for walks in the park, a fishing trip,
stories to be read or told, bike rides together? These
activities foster closer parent and child relationships
and encourage the child to grow in healthy ways.
Try some of these ideas or others with your children
this season. The results are worth the effort!
References:
Tamis-Lemonda, C.S., Shannon, J. D., Cabrera, N. J., &
Lamb, M. E. (2004). Fathers and mothers at play with
their 2- and 3-year-olds: Contributions to language and
cognitive development. Child Development, 75, 1806-1820.
Miedel, W. T., & Reynolds, A. J. (1999, April). Parent
Involvement in Elementary School and High-School
Success: Is There a Connection? Paper presented at the
biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child
Development.
Last Updated 07/30/2008
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