The older my daughter gets the more it's sinking in that I don't have much time left to spend with her! She's turning 16 in a couple of months, and I know I won't be seeing her much after she gets her driver's license.
It's hard to find things to do with your teenage daughter. You might be busy, they might have better things to do...I encourage you not to let this time slip away from you. Our interests may be very different from theirs, but there's always things you can do to bridge the gap.
If you have more than one daughter, then make sure they each get their special time alone with you. I have found that these activities are also great for bonding with teens you want to reach out to and build relationships with, like a step-daughter.
I've done all of the following activities with my daughter and/or step-daughter and haven't regretted a moment. Someday I will be able to look back and appreciate the moments we shared, and I hope they will too.
1. Take your dog(s) on a walk together.
2. Cook dinner together, letting her choose the menu and help shop for the ingredients.
3. Pick her up from school and take her out to lunch, even if she misses part of a class.
4. Drive to the closest big city for the night, stay in a hotel, and spend all the next day shopping and sightseeing, taking time to stop for lunch at an outdoor cafe.
5. Read the same book together and talk about it when you're done reading it.
6. Do a scriptural book study together.
7. Get up early on a Saturday morning, go get coffee, and spend the morning going to yard sales or looking through thrift shops or dollar stores.
8. Make cookies together to give to a friend.
9. Make holiday gifts together to give to friends and family. Visit http://www.crafty-moms.com for easy craft ideas.
10. Go with your daughter to the concert of her choice.
11. Buy her the materials to start a high school scrapbook. Work on your scrapbooks while she works on hers.
12. Join a local fitness club and work out together. My daughter and I joined a local women's gym that is very inexpensive ($40/month for both of us). We get up at 5:00 a.m. three days a week to go exercise before she goes to school and I go to work.
13. Go to the local video store and rent a couple of "chick flicks" to enjoy together in the comfort of your home. Kick the men out of the house and lounge around in your pajamas.
About The Author
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For more inspirational articles and tips for everyday living, visit her web sites at http://www.creativehomemaking.com and http://www.christian-parent.com
Having been a parent educator and a PBS consultant for... Read More
The Internet is one of the greatest inventions of all... Read More
Something eerily familiar happened in KwaZulu-Natal's Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park in Africa... Read More
Anyone can splurge on a formal dinner or a pricey... Read More
Many parents seem to be more than a little confused... Read More
My thirteen-year-old daughter recently called me up to say she... Read More
There are software programs that you can purchase to keep... Read More
You need to smart to be able influence adolescents. You... Read More
As part of the whole-language (or "balanced") reading-instruction philosophy, many... Read More
If you are a parent, then more than likely you... Read More
Ever feel like you're out of the loop when it... Read More
My husband and I have a 12-year-old daughter who wanted... Read More
It was the homework that did it. Each night became... Read More
Dear Camille,As I thumb through the photographs that I carry... Read More
Under the "No Child Left Behind Act," public schools whose... Read More
More and more parents are expressing their concerns about how... Read More
I am writing this from the beautiful mountains of Western... Read More
(Excerpted from Jim Rohn's 2004 Weekend Leadership Event)You have to... Read More
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes around the brain... Read More
Q. When you consult with a family with teens, what... Read More
In this form of treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder... Read More
For several years now, I've told the following story as... Read More
Here are some things that you can do to help... Read More
Handing Down Malignancy.Children may begin bright and eager to face... Read More
Back to school preparations are in full-swing. Soon, the first... Read More
What is the mystery of motherhood? I know that when... Read More
So, the thing is? I am feeling a little guilty.I... Read More
Now I know that is not how the song goes,... Read More
Here are some things that you can do to help... Read More
Maryann is so focused she's blind. She's slipped over the... Read More
Certainly we all want our children to excel. But it... Read More
WHEN AN INJURY HAPPENS AT CAMP, HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED... Read More
Prenatal intelligence, also known as fetal intelligence, has become a... Read More
Dear friends here we will charge up our mind with... Read More
Even if your teenagers do not use drugs, you still... Read More
Question 1 "How do I get more time to play?"... Read More
Not too long ago my teenage daughter approached me with... Read More
Why are more people, especially parents not outraged?I call it... Read More
Just the other day my oldest son asked:"Daddy, am I... Read More
As a step daughter and step grand daughter, I followed... Read More
Julia Roberts recently gave birth to twins: Hazel and Phinnaeus.... Read More
A common theme over the past 20 years has been... Read More
Many families today are blending members from past relationships. It... Read More
In a consumer-driven society that broadcasts values you don't approve... Read More
In an actual war, to be attacked means to have... Read More
What is hard for parentsLetting them learn from their mistakes.Trying... Read More
One of the most difficult struggles in life for a... Read More
You know that children can get into trouble. The older... Read More
One fantastic way to get your children involved in what... Read More
There are many reasons for treating your twins as individuals... Read More
Parenting Parenting |
|
| العاب | منتديات هيدى | الزاوية الحمراء | |
|
Pharaohs products egypt products Egypt shopping Shopping in Egypt sho Egypt Bazaar Pharaohs Shoping Center Egypt Pharaohs |