If you have a preschool daughter then this read will help you dig deeper into connecting with her and being a present parent. This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Disney Junior. All opinions are 100% mine.
My firstborn is a girl. A beautiful, blonde, tall, energetic, talkative, inquisitive, wonderful girl.
In fact, I knew she was a girl as soon as I found out I was pregnant. Don’t know how, but I did. I loved her from the minute I saw her and knew without a shadow of a doubt I was meant to be a mom.
“She makes the day brighter, she leaves a little sparkle wherever she goes.”
With Mother’s Day fresh in mind, it’s a great time to reflect and one area I try to prioritize is spending time alone with children individually. I love being a mom and want all of my kids to remember that I was present with them. Here are some ways you can make that happens.
Ways to Connect with your Preschool Daughter
I always feel sad when my kids leave the “baby chub” stage, but I really love this preschool age. My daughter asks questions, understands bigger concepts, and is just fun to be around.
Get down on her level
We all know each child is different. My daughter is different from my sons who are all different from one another. She is girly and feminine and likes frilly things and tutus and girly games. It’s how she is, not how I “made” her. We recently got this Minnie kitchen playset from Walmart and for the past two days she’s been cooking cupcakes and feeding her “honeys” (brothers) water.
Not only can you encourage imaginative play by getting down on your kid’s level, but it shows them you’re interested in what they’re interested in. You don’t have to play for 3 hours at a time to forge and maintain the mother daughter connection.
Take her with you
One way I fit in quality time with my daughter is to bring her with me to things I know she’d enjoy. Or “mommy” or “girly” things she will find fascinating. This may mean a manicure, pedicure, or simply a trip to town to run errands. If I need to do a little clothes shopping, she likes to come. If I’m going to a baby or wedding shower, she thinks it’s a big occasion. Everything doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. I can’t count the number of times I’ve taken her out with me in her dress-up clothes. This makes everything even more fun.
Make time in the small things
Something small my daughter and I love is our walks. We have a large yard and I’ll often walk around the pond a few times for exercise. Often I’ll use this time to be alone, read a book (yes, I can read and walk), or think and plan. However, I’ve started to single her out and walk together. She asks me to pick flowers from the trees, and we listen to the sounds of nature. She talks. I talk. We hold hands. It is one of my favorite things to do with her. And it’s free and requires no planning.
Keep her up a bit later
If you have multiple children you know the struggle in finding time alone with kids. My friend Alison at Pint-Sized Treasures has a system in her home to keep up one child a bit past bedtime each night. This way each child has time alone with their parents uninterrupted. I love this! If she rarely gets the 1 on 1 attention you’d like to give her, have a particularly long wind-down routine or bedtime story routine in the evenings.
Don’t forsake the big memories
Last Sunday was a big day for my daughter because we drove out of town to see Disney on Ice! She loved seeing Mickey and Minnie and their sparkly dresses (which is why she hasn’t taken off the pink sparkly Minnie dress below in, like, oh I don’t know, 3 days) plus all the princesses and princes. While I know Grand Gesture Bonding isn’t always possible, it’s a good idea to plan it in a few times a year with your daughter. She felt so singled out, special, and excited all day and has talked about it ever since.
My daughter loves Disney Junior and Mickey and Minnie Mouse so she has worn her Minnie dresses non-stop since we got them at Walmart. I can’t wait until I can take her to Disney World in the next few years because I know that will be like fantasy come to life. I purchased her Disney Junior Minnie Mouse items, Minnie Bow-Tique Fancy Bows Dress with Headband, and Disney Minnie Bowtastic Kitchen Playset at Walmart. You can have things shipped directly or sent to the store for free pick-up which I’ve recently done and loved.
Not only is partnering with Disney Junior fun for me, it’s literally an event of a childhood for my daughter too!
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