Category: Parenting

Whether it is for a kid/parent date, a special day for your birthday boy, or a day that’s just all about [name of child here], there are plenty of reasons to give your child a perfect day. With 5 kids in our house, it is SO hard to give the kids the undivided attention they desperately crave, which is why I decided to come up with the “perfect day” idea for my kids.

It all started when I began implementing scheduled dates where each child would get one on one time with one parent. Chris (my husband) and I take turns taking the kids on dates, one at a time.

I got tired of having to spend a ton of money each time, however, and had to start brainstorming more child/parent date ideas that were relatively inexpensive. That is when I decided to start having some of the dates be all day adventures, full of things that my kids love to do but I don’t always get the time to participate in.

How to Give Your Child a Perfect Day

1. Make their favorite breakfast.

There is no better way to give your child a perfect day than to start it out with their favorite breakfast. If they want to help cook or prepare it, definitely let them do it, but, if not, you can put on their favorite cartoon and let them relax until it is time to eat. My kids always choose pancakes, waffles, bacon, or all of the above LOL.

2. Go to the park and actually play with them on the playground.

I’m guilty of taking my kids to the park and then finding a comfortable place to sit and read a book, especially with my 5 year old. Now that he’s more independent it’s easy to let him play on his own, even though I know he loves it when I actually play WITH him. When I’m giving him a perfect day, however, we do things like play tag, hide n seek, or the floor is lava on and around the play equipment.

3. Go on a nature hike, and spend time noticing the little things.

Some of the parks we go to have trails that go through the woods, but if we are playing at one that doesn’t, we have nature trails nearby. The Dahlem Center is our favorite place, and I like to let the kids choose which way we go. We’ve been hundreds of times and I still don’t think we’ve seen all there is to see there.

Walk with your child on a trail and look at every little thing they point out. If they want to walk slowly, you walk slowly, too. This day is just for them, after all, so let them set the pace no matter how much you want to hurry along.

4. Talk with them, but try to do more listening than talking.

Throughout the activities of their perfect day, spend time talking and listening to your child. There are so many things they want to tell you, but when you are surrounded by the rest of the family it may be hard to get it all in. Let your child express themselves and chat your ear off all day long.

5. Let them help you make a lunch of their choice.

Sometimes, instead of making lunch, we stop and have lunch at the place of their choice. If you do make the lunch at home, however, let your child help you. I find that one of the better bonding times spent with my kids is when we are cooking together.

6. Take a nap with them, or have quiet time with them.

Instead of putting them in their bedroom alone for nap or quiet time, go with them. Lay in their bed and just cuddle, talk quietly, or read books together. Just having you there with them will mean the world to your child.

7. Play their favorite outside game.

After quiet time, head outside for a while and play whatever your child wants to play. This is the perfect time for you to play those games that you normally don’t have time to participate in.

8. Build a fort with them.

All of my kids like to make forts. They are constantly asking me to build one with them, but, on a normal day, I’ll enlist when one of the other kids to help instead. On their perfect day, however, this changes and I build the biggest and best fort with them

9. Watch their favorite movie in the fort while eating their favorite snacks.

Since you have to make the most of your fort, you should gather all the best snacks and bring them into the fort. We also like to grab pillows and blankets so we can get extra comfortable. Then, you should let your child choose a movie to watch from inside of the fort while you enjoy those snacks.

10. Take them to the dollar store and let them pick out a few items.

My kids choose their weirdest stuff, and that is perfectly okay. Oftentimes, we buy a package of balloons, blow them all up, and play games with those for a long time at home.

Other times, we buy paint and make artwork. You can even find dress up items and snacks that your kids will love! It’s not about the quality here, it’s just about giving your kid an amazing day.

11. Participate in whatever play activity they ask of you.

Don’t tell your child no today (unless it’s a safety hazard or expensive). If your child asks you to play, then go play! This is their perfect day, and they will love nothing more than you playing with them with all of their favorite toys.

12. Let the child choose and help cook dinner.

Okay, let’s get real here… you may not be able to keep your entire family out of the house for the entire day, so dinner time may include the rest of the family. Even so, this is still one child’s perfect day, so let them choose dinner and help cook it if they want to.

13. If they like baths, let them play in the bath extra long.

My kids LOVE bath time, but, with 3 littles who needs baths, I tend to rush them along. During their perfect day, though, they get to spend as much time as they’d like playing in the bathtub.

14. Read an extra book or two at bedtime.

I’m not one to say no to extra books anyway, but there is a point where I’m thinking I just want to go and read my OWN book LOL. The perfect day means they should get extra, however, so sometimes that means I’m reading to them for an hour straight or until they fall asleep.

We don’t just read the words, we also look at and discuss the pictures and events that are occurring in the book. With my 5 year old, I ask if he recognizes any of the words on the page, too.

15. Lay with your child as they fall asleep.

Allow them to ask questions or talk while you lay together instead of shushing them for bedtime. They’ll get sleepy and quiet eventually, and then they’ll fall asleep.

Important Tips For Giving Your Child a Perfect Day

• You must be present!

This is the first and most important tip. Your child craves your undivided attention, so make sure you’re giving it to them most of the day. This is their perfect day, after all, so put the phone, computer, laptop, tablet, etc. away and be present for your child.

• Customize the day for your child.

Each child is different, so you may have to change things around a bit. With my daughter, we make time for DIY facials, mani’s, and pedi‘s. This is our “thing”, so we make sure to do it each time. It’s her favorite part!

• Listen to your child – even the things they aren’t saying.

If your child doesn’t seem to be enjoying an activity on their perfect day, move on! Definitely don’t take it personally, instead take note for next time that they would rather do something else.

Final Thoughts On Ways to Give Your Child a Perfect Day

At the end of your child’s perfect day, your child will go to bed so happy and feeling so loved and noticed. There is nothing better than that, and it is something your child will remember for a very long time. If you make this kind of thing a regular tradition, your child will remember it for the rest of their lives and maybe even pass it along to their own kids someday.

You may also find that after you give your child a perfect day you’ll feel great, as well. While you may have skipped housework or other things you need to get done at home, seeing your child so happy and spending one on one time with them will make it all worth it.

What would you do to give your child a perfect day? Tell me about it in the comments! I may just add it to our own perfect day routine.