8 Activities to Strengthen Your Parent-Child Relationship During Quarantine

​By Panicha McGuire, LMFT, RPT

By now you are probably running out of ideas of things to do with your child when you’ve been confined with each other for weeks.  Or, you’ve probably seen Frozen II for the 100th time.  Although we all hope to get back to normal soon, this may be a good opportunity for you to take a step back and practice becoming emotionally closer to one another.  These are some activities that will help elicit open dialogue with your child, help you learn more about each other’s likes/dislikes, and some are just plain fun.
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1. Cook a meal or bake together- This can be quite relaxing for children who love to work with their hands.  Plus, you’ll get a reward at the end!  Making a meal together can be a bonding activity that will not only teach your child a life skill, but will help them feel a sense of accomplishment.
2. Play dress up- Find out more about your child.  What goes on in their mind?  How creative are they?  How big is their imagination?
3. Start a new hobby or take a fun online class together- Whether it’s knitting or learning to juggle, you’ll find tons of tutorials online.
4. Karaoke night– You could even take turns with everyone picking a song!
5. Play “Would you rather?”- Play a simple game of rock-paper-scissors.  The winner gets to ask the other a “would you rather” question.  Be sure to throw in some silly ones with some deeper ones.  Some examples:
   • Would you rather hiccup every time you spoke or sing every time you opened your mouth?
   • Would you rather always be right or always be loved?
   • Would you rather have three legs or three arms?
   • Would you rather solve all the world’s problems or be the richest person on Earth?
6. Jenga- Write a feeling word on Jenga blocks.  You can talk about them or ask questions about the feelings such as “What happens when you feel __?”.  You can also mix in some fun questions.
7. Family Bingo- Create a bingo card for some positive actions that you would like to see in the house.  Everyone can contribute when creating the bingo card.  Things like “Facetime Grandma” or “Learn a magic trick” can be added.  See who gets Bingo first!
8. Have an indoor/backyard picnic – this is a great time to consider even breaking some family rules so if you don’t usually let your kids eat in the living room, maybe you have a picnic there!

Fun Tip - These activities can be parent(s) vs children which will help siblings’ bond and learn to work together!

As always, we at Thrive are here for parents and teens, particularly during this unprecedented time in our world. We want to help you make the most of the pandemic but also help you cope with it if you are struggling. Please make sure to balance any advice you are taking with a healthy dose of self-care and realistic expectations!

At Thrive, we take a positive, client centered approach to therapy that is focused on creating a genuine connection with our clients.  If you would like to talk with a Thrive Therapist about yourself, your child, or teen attending therapy via video sessions, please reach out to us by phone at 858-342-1304. 
 
As always, thanks for reading and comments are always welcome regarding any issues around child or teen psychotherapy services in San Diego by Thrive Therapy Studio.  
 
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