How long do you spend time with your baby?
Are you a parent struggling to decide which is more important when you spend time with your baby: the quality of time, the quantity of time, or both?
Well, in this post, we’re going to unpack one way to help you solve that problem! At some point, every parent faces this dilemma. Often they feel they just can’t get it right.
Maybe you have a problem even finding much time to spend with your your baby. It can feel so overwhelming.
The research on this topic of quality vs. quantity can sometimes be confusing as well. It can be hard to decide which is the best for you and your baby. Is it the quality of time or the quantity of time?
In addition, everyone seems to have an opinion about how you, as a parent, should spend your time with your baby.
You can end up not spending the time wisely at all. But keep on reading and I’ll tell you about one way to avoid the confusion.
It can also be hard and time-consuming to sort through all the information about this topic. But worse yet, you feel like you have to defend your choice as well. But, stick with me because it can get easier.
One way to solve the quality vs. quantity dilemma
Let me introduce you to one way I found to handled the quality versus the quantity issue when I spent time with with my children.
I really believe that doing this will result in less stress for you. It will also help you to be a more confident parent about the time you do spend with your baby.
First, you have to be wise about how you schedule your time. Making time to spend with your baby must be a priority.
You make all kinds of appointments practically every day. You put them on your calendar and keep them.
If you think about it, you’ll have to agree that your baby deserves at least that much attention.
Your next step is to be focused on what you are doing with your baby for however long you are together.
With that focus, quality can win out over quantity if you’re doing activities that help build attachments, bonds, and closeness
Benefits of spending time with your baby
In other words, actively doing something with your baby will build a deep relationship whether you spend 5 minutes or 55 minutes.
Pediatric psychologist, Roger Harrison has said that even five minutes playing with your baby helps them to listen better and to eventually value what you say to them as a parent.
So five minutes here, five minutes there spent with your baby consistently will lead to a stronger relationship.
Quality time spent focused on your baby will help you also learn to communicate better with them.
You’ll learn to decipher their cries, find out what makes them happy or sad, what upsets them, and so many other things.
So you need to be present when you engage with your baby. Now that can be hard to do because whether you work outside the home or if you’re at home all day long, there are so many things that can distract you.
Planning is key to spending time with your baby
That’s where the planning and choosing to be present with your child comes into play. I was very fortunate to basically be a stay-at-home mom.
My violin lesson teaching schedule at home was flexible. I was also able to choose the performing opportunities that I wanted to do.
I was also involved with other activities as well. Therefore, I had to consciously plan time to spend with my children.
So sometimes we had that 55 minutes. But, more but more often than not, it was only five minutes.
Strategies for spending quality time with your baby
So, I’d like to share with you some strategies that I used to make the most out of the time that we had together.
First, I always had a basket of books within reach. If we were out and had to wait, I always had a book or two in the bag that we carried.
Read to your baby whenever possible. Find out more about the benefits of reading aloud here.
Next, just have a handful of songs that you can sing to your baby. Now trust me, you don’t have to be an opera singer to do this!
It doesn’t even matter if you sing the same songs over and over. Your baby learns by repetition and will love to hear your voice no matter what!
Then, play with them. Be actively engaged in whatever you are doing together. You can teach them so many lessons from sharing to taking care of things and more during that playtime.
Finally, the only five minutes that you may have with your baby is changing their diaper, feeding them, or a car ride. So don’t waste it!
Talk to your baby. Describe what you are doing. Name the foods they’re eating. Tell them where you’re going and the things you see along the way.
I know it seems like they really aren’t going to understand what you’re saying. But, when you talk to them, you are helping them to build their vocabulary. Their knowledge about things will increase. They will learn how the world works.
What the research says
Also, a series of experiments found that parents who spent quality time actively engaged with their child, for however long, were typically kinder, more compassionate, and more generous.
Interestingly, another set of research showed that spending too much time (that quantity thing) with your baby doing nothing is actually detrimental.
It turns out that there are two types of time that parents spend with their children.
One is accessible time. In other words, you and your child are in the same space but not actively engaged with each other.
The second is (you guessed it) engaged time. You and your baby are doing and learning things together.
So accessible and engaged time together with your baby are both important.
Quality and quantity time are both important. But, remember this. If you only have that five minutes, be ready to engage in a quality activity with your baby.
More quality activities for you and your baby
So, I have shared a few suggestions about how you as a parent can spend time with your baby. I’d like to give you an opportunity to learn even more quality activities that you can spend.
These musical activities can help you and your baby become lifelong learners together and develop a deeper relationship with each other.
“Your Musical Baby” Class
I’d like to invite you to observe an ONLINE “Your Musical Baby” Class for FREE on any Saturday morning.
Now, I know that you are a busy parent. So I’ve made it just as easy as possible for you to attend the class.
Simply use the “Busy Parent” link below to sign up. You’ll receive the details and the Zoom link to the class in an email.
Then, you and your baby can begin your “Beautiful Heart Musical Journey” together.
So I do hope to see you and your baby in the next Saturday class!
Like and Share
I would love it if you would Like “Your Musical Baby” and Share this post on your Facebook and Instagram accounts!
