Present Parenting Checklist – 100 Ideas to be Involved in Your Child’s Life

Did you know the average adult spends 10 or more hours using electronics per day?

In this technical age it’s easy to begin feeling less present and more disconnected as a parent from the people most important for us, our kids.

Sometimes our time spent on electronics is out of our hands with high demanding jobs that require their use.

Putting electronics aside, being a parent can be just plain busy! But, getting caught up in the stress of every day life is something that can and will happen.

The Struggle Finding Work / Family Life Balance

There will be days you feel so jumbled up in household, work, and family obligations you won’t take a breath for quality time spent with the kids.

This is something that’s perfectly normal. I’ve been there before myself as a busy mom.

Mom guilt has seeped in before that I didn’t take time for story time that day or that I was too busy to volunteer in my child’s classroom that year.

But, the fact is that it’s normal to feel this way. This Pew Research survey shows that most parents have trouble balancing work and family life.

Research aside, our kids are growing up fast! Their growth isn’t going to wait for our business and work schedules to end.

The trick is to get a grasp on the busyness and find creative ways to be involved so we can be their for our kids growth. Be there for the good moments and the bad.

Check out our ideas below to become more present. There are some really simple ideas here that are easy to add into your routine even if you are the busiest parent.

How can I be present as a parent?

I’ve come up with 100 ways to be more involved in our kids lives. These include:

Monitoring What They do at Home:

Of course every parent has their own set of rules. But, its good to get involved by knowing what your children are doing at home.

What books are they reading? What shows are they watching? Are they browsing the internet safely?

Setting rules, consequences, or parental controls for these things are just another way to get involved at home.

On top of knowing what your kids are doing from a safety standpoint you are also getting to know their interests more and will be able to relate to them better.

Discussing Your Children With People Who Are Involved

Getting more involved means being on the same page as other people who are involved.

Keep open communication with your spouse, teachers, your child’s doctor, and extended family.

I’m a stay at home mom. So, when my husband gets home I like to fill him in on how the day went with our kids. Was there something that was upsetting them or something new they learned? It helps him be more involved knowing what’s going on.

If you aren’t with your kids all the time it’s good to stay informed and on the same page as others who come into contact with them.

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Be Involved in Their Education

Education plays a big role in the lives of young children. So, it’s good to get involved in their education and there are so many ways you can do it.

We’ve begun homeschooling this year for various reasons. But, this allows us to be more involved in the entire process. We now know exactly what progress our son is making in school and where he needs improvement.

If your child is going to a traditional school you can get more involved in several ways. Dropping them off at school, volunteering in the classroom or for extracurricular, attending field trips, and having open communication with their teacher are just a few.

Spend Quality Time With Your Kids

You can get more involved daily just by spending quality time with your kids.

Plan a craft or activity, go for a hike, read together, or set up a family game or movie night.

You will have so many opportunities to communicate with your children during these times. It will help you to develop a closer relationship with them and strengthen your bond.

Be a Constant Source for Comfort

Get involved with your kids by letting them know you are always there for them.

Be a present parent who is always available to talk, offer support, and guide your child through life’s major changes and challenges.

Just by offering a shoulder to cry on you are being more involved in your child’s life. Knowing you are available to listen and love them unconditionally is such a comfort to them.

I hope you enjoyed these ideas for getting more involved as a parent. For 100 ideas to be a more involved parent make sure you grab the free printable below!

Just by doing a few of the things on the list you are already being more involved. I love that it doesn’t take much to become more involved in your child’s life. The best part is that they will love having you more involved, especially as young children.

Download your free list of 100 Ways to be a More Involved Parent! 

In what ways do you try to get more involved with your kids? I would love to hear your ideas in the comments below!