10 ways to stay connected with your kids, now you’re back at work.

As usual the holidays have flown by, you’ve had a great time connecting with your kids and soon you’ll be slipping back into that old work schedule. It’s too easy to fall back into a work rut and the last thing you want to do is wait until the next holidays to re-connect with your kids.

Even dads who work very long hours can still be actively connected with their kids during the school term; here are 10 top tips on  how dads can stay connected with their kids:

1. Get involved with your child’s sport. Step up and be a coach or team manager. Over the next few weeks teams will be assembled and coaches and managers will be in demand.  This only requires a couple of hours per week, negligible experience and it’s something your kids will cherish for years. For basic rules on key codes, click here.

2. Try and do some school pick-ups or drops-offs. Weekly, fortnightly or even monthly, every kid wants to see their dad take an interest in their school. Time in the playground, watching your kids interact with friends and their friends’ parents is a great way to further connect with your own kids and for you to meet other parents. Drop into a game of hand-ball while you’re there.

3. Make yourself known to your child’s teacher. This will deepen your understanding of your child’s school life. Sporadic encounters can be immensely insightful!

4. Immerse yourself in some or all of your child’s school projects. Make a big deal of these projects and actively facilitate your child as they discover. (Assist, but refrain from doing their homework for them). You may even be able to give a class presentation or provide some stimuli that will assist, not only your child, but the other pupils and potentially the teacher.To better understand how today’s kids  learn, watch this.

5. There are still 6 weeks of daylight saving left, use that extra hour of daylight to kick a ball or at least go for a walk. These will be moments you’ll both cherish.

6. Rather than come home and fall straight  into the standard routine, set up regular 1 on 1 time with each of your kids (and  then partner). Sit under a tree and have a chat or take the dog for a walk. Be interested in their day, in the right environment, you may be surprised what you can learn from your kids.

7. Lead by example; cook at least one evening meal per week. Liven it up in a Master Chef spectacle or wheel out your tried and tested specialty. Get easy bloke friendly recipes here. And don’t be shy to get the kids involved in the preparation.

8. If evenings are too hard to get home in time, invest in the mornings. Nominate a morning where you make the school lunches with your kids and / or take them to a café. A change of routine and environment is good  for all of us.

9. If weekdays are near impossible to steal time from work, then scope out something new to do over the coming weekends.  Identify a project and build it: For example, build a  vegetable / herb garden, a billy-cart, doll-house or fishpond. For more Or embark on some community work. Together you can decide who, why, where and when.

10. Learn something new together. Get into a new sport. Either as spectators (e.g. Winter Olympics) or as participants. Consider martial arts, yoga, tennis, jogging or simply walk. Discover new bike rides. Or do a short course: art, craft, pottery, gardening, sailing, wood work etc…

How will you stay connected with your kids?