DiscoverYour Daughter

It may seem like your daughter is constantly pushing you away, but a recent study by Discovery Girls magazine revealed that 66 percent of girls actually wish their families spent more quality time together. So how do you juggle your busy schedules and still manage to eke out a few more minutes of meaningful time with her each day? Five “Discover Your Daughter” moms shared their tips on how to squeeze in some quality family time with your daughter through everyday tasks.

1. Make meal planning and preparation a joint activity at least once a week.
You have to eat, right? And you probably have to cook, too! Get your daughter involved and you’ll not only teach her a great life skill, you’ll also gain an extra pair of helping hands in the kitchen! Kick off this new quality time ritual by taking your daughter on a girls-only trip to the local bookstore to pick out the perfect cookbook. Make sure the recipes aren’t too terribly difficult…Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking might be a little ambitious! Then pick a night each week for you and your daughter to create the family meal together—everything from choosing the recipe, to shopping for ingredients, to the food prep and cooking. You’ll both love seeing your culinary creation come to life, and knowing you did it all together! (Bonus: Picky eaters will be a lot more likely to try new foods they’ve helped prepare!)

2. Steal some “secret” time with just her to do something out of the ordinary.
Take her to get a hot fudge sundae in the middle of the night, wake her up extra early for school to create that new hairstyle she’s been wanting to try but needs your help with, or grab giant mugs of hot cocoa and squeeze in some girl talk while everyone else is out of the house….the point is, there’s something fun and exciting about stealing away in secret, just the two of you. She’ll love knowing she received some special time with Mom that nobody else got—and that you love her so much you want that special time with just her. Do it every so often and it will become your special little secret that you both always look forward to…and always remember!

3. Share two chores when cleaning instead of each taking one.
The kitchen and the bathrooms need cleaning today, and the most efficient way to get it all done is to divide and conquer, right? Maybe not! Chores are a necessary evil for most of us, but you can make them something you and your daughter don’t dread by making one small change—do them together! Remember when your daughter was little and thought cleaning the toilet was fun? Here’s a secret—it wasn’t just the scrubbing she enjoyed—it was being with Mom and being like Mom! Well, times haven’t changed that much. She may be five or 10 years older, but she still wants to spend time with you…and she still wants you to appreciate her help. So clean the kitchen together! You wash, she’ll dry. You sweep, she’ll mop. Chores will turn into quality family time!

4. Keep tucking her in.
Your daughter is getting older, and you certainly don’t want to stifle her independence, but the truth still remains—something about bedtime brings the chatty out in your Cathy! If you stop tucking your daughter into bed as she gets older, you might think you’re encouraging her independence…but you’re actually eliminating a precious opportunity every single day to hear what’s on her mind. Plus, you might be giving her the impression that the reality show on TV is more important to you than she is. So tuck her in, ask about her day, and as you’re leaving her room, mention one thing from the day that you are proud of her for, happy for her about, or pleased that she shared with you. It’s the emotional security blanket that only a mom can provide.

5. Take a hike—literally—with your daughter!
Everyone can use some exercise, so grab your daughter and take a weekend hike, walk the dog after work and school, or head to the gym for a group fitness class together in the morning. It’s a simple way to squeeze in extra quality time by including her in something that’s probably already in your schedule (and usually free)! Not to mention, it will give you a perfect opportunity to teach your daughter about making healthy choices and staying fit, which will only help improve her self-confidence—in one fell swoop!

Try these simple tips to help squeeze in more quality family time with your daughter just by getting her more involved in your everyday activities. Pretty soon, time alone with mom will be something worth getting excited about again!