Connecting With Your Children

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One of the biggest struggles for American families is finding unity amid the daily routines that send each member of the family in different directions. Especially in the digital age, even time spent together physically can feel like time spent apart because each person is focused on their own pursuits on separate devices.

But being present for each other has never been more important – especially for children as they grow and develop their perceptions and awareness of themselves and how they fit into the world around them.

Jennifer Pepito, a homeschooling mother of seven children and author of the book Habits for a Sacred Home, discusses how intentional parenting and seeking ways for family members to spend time together can have a transformational result.

“In a time when families are rarely together, it’s a life-saving experience when people get to see moms and dads and children loving each other and enjoying each other’s company,” she writes in her book.

As a parent, there are a few simple ways to bring a sense of connection to your relationship with your children, without sacrificing necessary activities on your family’s schedule.

Show your children you take joy in being around them.

Make an effort to notice and respond to your children when they are around.

“Loving your family doesn’t always have to be a big production,” Pepito told The Stand. “It can just be the simplest of ways: When your kids walk into the room, look at them with a smile on your face and help them see how much you enjoy and delight in them. I think those simple things are a big part of what builds a happy family.” (Read more from Pepito’s interview with The Stand magazine in the May 2026 article: “Homes that transform culture.”)

Spend screen-free time in activities that include the whole family.

Play a board game, plant a flowerbed, make a craft or artwork, or work on a recipe together. Even the youngest children can be given simple roles to take part so that all family members feel included and noticed. Make sure phones, TVs, and other screens are silenced, turned off, or even left in a different room, so that there is no distraction and no sense of competing with a screen for any of the family members.

Engage in child-centric activities with your children.

Put your grown-up interests and concerns aside for an hour or two and get involved in whatever your children enjoy doing as a hobby or leisure activity, even if it does involve screens. Sit with them while they play with a tablet or video game, watch a movie of their choice with them, or discuss a book they have read. If they have a hands-on hobby like woodworking, automobiles, or art, watch them at work and let them demonstrate and explain what they are doing. Or just allow them the opportunity to talk about their day and experiences with no distractions or interruptions.

Simply showing appreciation for your children, gifting them with some time of undivided attention, and demonstrating interest in what they are excited about can go a long way in building unity and creating a long-lasting bond and trust as a family.

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