But you may also want to plan ahead. You can start with as little as 15 minutes a week, said Art Cleveland, co-leader of the DADS Family Project, a parenting class for fathers. But it must be spent doing something the child wants to do. If the time is successful, both parent and child will naturally want to increase their time together. Cleveland suggests you actually play with your child, because play is the language of children.
Mills also cautions parents to individualize their time with their children.
What one child enjoys, another might find boring. It's easy to get lost in the shuffle' Once every nine weeks, Peter Coukoulis gets a special day with his dad. He sets his alarm early, bounces out of bed and quickly gets dressed. While his younger brother, George, goes on to school, and his sister, Marie, stays with his mom, he and his dad set out for a day of adventure. Recently they went to see the Civil War display at the Florida State Museum and then went out to lunch.