9 Things I Try To Do With My Daughter Everyday

1. Build something. There is a creative side that comes out when you can build. Build with blocks. Magnatiles. Letter blocks. Boxes. Legos. Sticks. Tents. Anything!

2. Eat together. We always try to eat our meals together because it is during those times that we often have our best conversations. I find myself laughing more often at what she says, giggling about the silly things in life, and her having the chance to ask her heart’s deepest questions. 

3. Read. The library is somewhere we frequent almost weekly. I mean let’s be honest, Mazy enjoys playing with the toys just as much as I get new books for her, but when we get home, she always wants to curl up and read a book or two. When she leans closer to the book or tilts it more her way, it makes me realize she actually really is listening. Often her books consist of look and finds, but it’s still time together, using her brain, and challenging herself (and me – she often finds the objects before me!)

4. Take a Walk. A breath of fresh air. I feel like it doesn’t matter what the temperature is outside, whether it’s snowing, raining, or windy, taking a breath of fresh air is just good for everyone. We may only make it one block, but that is something we try to do just to get out of the house and our everyday surroundings. I mean who doesn’t like finding a beautiful leaf, a walking a stick, or dirt piles?

5. Watch a show. We are not a screen-free family. We feel life is all about balance and moderation, and watching Daniel Tiger? Thanks to him for teaching some amazing life lessons that I may have not thought to teach. Flush, wash, and be on your way – perfect potty song folks! 

6. Sing. Every night I sing Mazy to sleep. It’s something I have done since the day she was born and often I think oh, I should just let her fall asleep on her own, but then the next day, when she is singing the very song I sung to her the night before, I just can’t stop yet! I often try to have music on in the background during the day to offer that positive environment in our home. Of course we enjoy quiet too, but when she can sing the first verse of Amazing Grace, the song she thinks was named after her (instead of the other way around), it reminds me just how important music is! And PraiseBaby? Oh to hear her belt out those songs with her whole heart…priceless.

7. Learn something. This takes various forms everyday, but whether it’s learning to write something, draw, recognize a letter or number, or how to do something, I always try to take the time to sit down with her and teach her something new, even though I know homeschooling is not my gift!

8. Create. I loved to be creative as a kid! Our home now by the end of the day is a disaster, but if she wants to paint you name it, glue anything and everything she can find together (including rocks to baggies?), or make tents that take up our whole living room, the wild imagination that I can see flowing out of her, makes me just as passionate about life as her!

9. Have alone time. Mazy likes to be with people (just not boys if you know her…), but everyday I try to find time for her to simply play alone, create alone, make puzzles alone, play with a game alone, anything. It allows me to get supper ready, work on a blog post, take a shower, make a puzzle for a few minutes, whatever. It may only be for 5 minutes, but we ALL need quiet time!

What are your favorite activities you do with your children or did with your children? What did you or do you try to do with your kids everyday? Maybe these little things will make a big difference in her life someday!