How much time do you spend with your Kids?

Have you thought about how much time you spend with your kids on a weekly basis? The world is moving on a fast pace and I dont think technology is helping out much to spend more time with our kids. You are probably spending more time with your cell phone than your own kids. Now your boss can contact you even if you are meditating on the Himalayas. So much for the advances in the world of technology.

I appreciate your comments on the devil of technology and how do you see the future of our kids?

Hi, I actually spend quite a bit of time with my children. The only time they are not with me is when my eldest is in school and my youngest attends day care 2 days a week. I work part time and only whilst my children are at school. I have a mobile phone only for emergencies and return text messages after my children have gone to bed. At the times where they watch television, we watch as a family. My eldest is now at a stage where she likes her own space but she knows that I will drop everything if she needs something or wants to talk to me. I disagree with your statement that we are"probably spending more time with your cell phone than your own kids" I would be interested to hear how much time you yourself are spending with your children as you didn't include this in your message.

I too spend alot of time with my children apart from when Nick is at kindy, we are always doing stuff together and on weekends we always take them on outings
I only have a mobile for dp to contact me if we are out while he is at work, my kids don't watch alot of tv, and i have no intention of buying them any of the game consoles because i personally don't like them and my kids prefer to be outside having fun than sitting in watching tv

My kids have a ps2, an XBox (broken now) and a Wii, lol. I have a mobile phone, but as everyone who knows me will tell you its never turned on, but its saved me on more than one occasion when I've needed help..

Everything is okay in moderation. My kids have done soccer, tennis and start karate on Thursday. We have a basketball ring, a trampoline and go for bike rides. They play the consoles when they feel like it, but they don't watch TV or vice versa. They're fit, healthy and active. We play board games, dance, and play sport together. My DH and I often have a game of basketball in the early evening (if you read this Trisha, shhhh, LMAO!)and we sometimes have a bit of a go on the Wii, lol.

I do think a lot pf people use these things as babysitters, but realistically, they were probably the parents with the kids that wandered the streets. Bad parenting is bad parenting. Game consoles or technology has nothing to do with it IMO. My kids aren't in daycare (not that I see anything wrong with that generally) so are with me all day. DH sold our shop, and we are lucky to be able to have the first half of the year with him at home. Yayy!

Love and respect each other and yourself, set a good example and half the battle is won.

I pretty much spend 24/7 with my kids. When i'm on the computer, Lily is sitting on my lap 'helping'. tv time during the day is usually cartoons we watch together. I'm aways helping Lily draw and paint etc. I feed Charlie every 3-4 hours and am always trying to get Lily to play nice with him which takes up a lot of time too. Charlie hardly sleeps through the day so that also takes up most of my time because he never likes being put down. We hardly ever use our mobiles. Only when we're not with each other and need to talk do we use them. My kids are not in any type of care either, so they are with me all the time. Be nice to actually get a break sometimes.

oh Tegan ! I hear you!
I sometimes use a DVD or ABC kids to keep my older dd distracted if my youngest is asleep and I need a nap too, but then she doesn't get to watch any telly later etc. I haven't had any prob with TV she gets very inspired by it and after a morning session she is playing all day by herself.
I'm trying to focus on quality time rather than incidental time although that is really important too. My mum worked part-time (as do I) and I really liked the little rituals like shopping together and a milkshake on saturdays, going to the beach after school every tuesday afternoon etc. I also like mum just being in the kitchen and being 'around'.
That said, my DH and I are trying to make sure we spend lots of time with the girls on the weekend focussed more on what they enjoy than what we do!
I thought it was an interesting topic, but most mums at bellybelly tend towards more attachment/gentle parenting styles so probably spend heaps of time with their kids.

I actually spend most of my time with my kids. I have three very young boys, all under 3. The best part about my job is that I am my boss, my hubby and I own two flower shops and the bulk of the business is my responsibility as he is in the USMC. I can do most of my business chores at home such as inventory and stock sheets, time sheets, conference calls with my suppliers etc.... but I do like to go into my shops every week just to make an appearance. I love to work on floral arrangements myself and set up my new displays etc...

My kids are too young for the video games, my hubby is the one who has PS2, PS3 AND PSP, I have to admit I love to play myself.

As much as I love my kids, it is nice to get out for a few hours and talk to people who don't drool on themselves and who are potty trained, lol. :cryinglaugh:

Sometimes I think I am spending too much time with DD. We are either playing with her toys, painting, drawing, playing with water, going for a walk, gardening, shopping etc etc. She even "helps" me clean the house! I don't even let her watch TV alone, I am always there talking, or singing songs (we have just found the wiggles) I don't go on the computer until she is in bed and rarely answer the phone. We go to playgroup on a monday morning, and again I run around with her.

Can you spend too much time with your children? She is quite happy to play by herself, but I want to play too!

Not much at all, I spend all of my time here on the computer and on BellyBelly. Just ask Mark ;)

Nat, go the basketball hun. You need practise when DH isn't home ;)

I have to say im not a slave to technology. I spend alot of time with my kids everyday. DD will watch her fav show in the morning while eating brekky then it gets turned off and the radio goes on. I cant stand seeing kids stuck in front of the tele all day, t and they wonder how our kids are getting obese.

We are lucky that we live on acreage so there is heaps to do with the chooks and dogs and horse not to mention the gardens. We have heaps of room for the kids to ride bikes and do whatever they like really. I dare say though that if we lived in suburbia that things would be *heaps* different. Theres only so much backyard to explore hey and if you dont have alot of money you cant be taking the kids to the local playcentre all the time.

I enjoy being with my kids because i know to well how quick they grow and i dont want to miss out on anything. Of course the dishers need washing and the laundry needs doing and bills need to be paid online so i chose the times when my kids are either asleep or playing together before i do these chores. Dinner is tricky cause they are both tired and hungry and want my attention. Thats when i get unstuck.

I spend pretty much every waking hour with my kids. Infact there isn't much time when at least 1 isn't with me.

yeahs ure we watch TV, play computer games but we watch TV together, Evan plays computer games with DH.

My kids are the only people I interact with on a day to day basis IRL. We walk to the shops/park almost every day if the weather permits. We draw in the evenings after dinner. Hell we even bath/shower together.

DH & I both have times to ourself. DH gets to sit on the net for a bit after work. But I am with the kids. I stay up after they go to bed for my time. DH also gets up earlier then everyone else & uses that time to play his PC games without Evan "helping". I also sneak on here throughout the day when like now, 2 are still asleep & glenn is sitting on the floor at my feet eating a curly apple. Or if they are playing together & Isla is asleep.

I can admit that the TV is on all day, but my kids don't sit infront of it all day. Its just background noise for the majority of the day. Or I use it to keep the boys amused for a bit while I tend to Isla or make lunch/snacks.
I know some kids who have a favourite movie, I am amazed when the parent tells me that the sit & watch the whole thing. No way my kids can sit in front of the telly that long! They haev a hard time getting through an episod of the Wiggles or Hi5 before getting bord with it & wanting to do somethign else. Oh mind you Evan can sit through an episod of Myth busters though! Loves that show & spends the next few hours talking about what they did or how they did it & pretending/acting out what they did.

I do have days where I have trouble finding things to amuse them, but its amazing how something like spot cleaning the walls can turn into a big game with them, they love to help me clean. I do go through a lot of nappy wipes as they are safer then a bucket of water with children like mine (glenn mostlt has to tip out an liquid he can get his hands on!) Suprisingly though, nappy wipes are fantastic for cleaning a number fo things around the house!

I wouldn't have anything like a xbox though.

I spend all the time I can with Kaitlyn! . I work 4days a week and believe me it breaks my heart ..but it is something i have to do ...so when I am home I love to be with Kaitlyn as much as possible!.

I spend every waking moment with DS (apart from the two Nights a week that I work 5-10pm) and we never have DS looked after.

I have a couple of hours an evening where my wonderful DH takes over when he gets home from work. He baths him, then feeds him his night bottle and puts him to bed. DS is in bed by 7.30 each night, so after that, is our time to do whatever we like!!!!

I spend almost every waking second with DS! DH runs his own computer business and works crazy wacky hours! DS and I go to the office two days a week to help out in any way we can but aside from that I'm a full-time stay-at-home mum and I'm loving it!

DS has been to a baby-sitter ONCE on my birthday (my best friend looked after him) so that DH and I could go to dinner alone.

I get a bit of time off when DH can take over and he does that as often as he can but otherwise 99% of DS's care is my responsibility but I wouldn't have it any other way. He is a baby for such a short time and I want to cherish it.

He doesn't watch much television (only a little sport and is starting to show interest in rugby, cricket and tennis) and won't have a game console until he is old enough to earn his own money to pay for it.

I enjoy taking him to the park and the beach and will look forward to all the fun things we can do in the future as he gets older and more capable of playing! :D