Quality Time With Your Children Anywhere

I have to admit that it brings me great joy to see parents having quality time with their children wherever they are.  One of the best ways to do this is to talk, talk, talk. 
**When you are driving, talk about the things you see.  With younger children you can point out familiar objects such as trains, animals, trees, and stop signs.  With older children, you can talk about where you are going, how you will get there, or play some words games. 
**At the grocery store, involve your children in the shopping.  Tell them what you are looking for, let them help look for it, and have them put it in the cart.  For young children who sit in the shopping cart, this is a great time to sing some songs quietly.  When my daughter was younger, I found a great song that can last a long time.  It goes to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus".  "The cows on the farm go moo, moo, moo (repeat twice); The cows on the farm go moo, moo, moo all night long."  After you have done as many animals as you can think of, "The farmer on the farm goes shh, shh, shh (repeat twice); The farmer on the farm goes shh, shh, shh so I can go to sleep". 
**Take a trip to the zoo.  For young children, name the animals and talk about what they are doing.  For older children, take time to read the signs and teach them about the animals.  The more excited you get about the animals and facts, the more interested your children will be.
**Eat dinners together and talk.  I grew up in a home where dinnertime happened in front of the television.  Fortunately my parents used many other opportunities to talk to me.  My husband and I felt it was important to begin a tradition of eating meals together.  Especially now that we have a teenager, dinner is one of the few times that he is around talking to us.  When you go out to eat, talk and enjoy the company.  I hate to see children out to eat with their video games.  I just think it is a missed opportunity for bonding.
 **Waiting in line can be annoying and stressful, but it doesn't have to be.  Use this time as learning and bonding with your children.  You can search for different colors, shapes, letters, or number, you can play games such as "I Spy", or you can sing some more songs quietly.