This post brought to you by Disney Junior. The content and opinions expressed below are that of The Humbled Homemaker.
Mother-daughter bonding need not be hard, tedious, or expensive. A little intentionality can go a long way in fostering a mother-daughter bond that will last a lifetime!
I am incredibly blessed to be the mother to not one but three beautiful little girls. I always wanted daughters, and we were over-the-moon excited when God decided to give us three!
Although my husband and I joke about our home being high drama with four females, and we laugh about us all PMSing at the same time once the girls hit the teenage years, a home full of daughters is incredibly rewarding.
Each of my three girls is my own “MinnieMe” in some way:
My firstborn is my spitting image; my second inherited my compassion and sensitive spirit; and my third may look like her daddy but shares my taste for fine chocolate and peanut butter sweets.
While it might seem easy to create mother-daughter bonding moments with my girls, it actually takes intentionality to make it happen.
I hope you will be encouraged to spend some mother-daughter bonding time with your daughter (s) too!
3 Ideas for Mother-Daughter Bonding
1. Introduce them to things from your childhood.
Having children can be a little like re-living your own childhood, especially when you introduce them to your favorite toys, characters, books, and activities from your when you were a kid.
So many of the toys we played with and the characters we emulated in the 80s and 90s have endured or even made a comeback, via brands like Disney Junior Minnie Mouse items.
Did you devour classic children’s books like the Little House on the Prairie series or Anne of Green Gables? Read them to your daughters.
Did you love riding bicycles? Ride your own grown-up one alongside your daughter on her trainer.
Did you play with Minnie Mouse? You can re-live that excitement with a new Minnie Mouse toy for your daughter. (Taking this cute Disney Minnie Mouse Bows and Dots Beach Towel to the pool will make her day!)
2. Go on mother-daughter dates.
We have plenty of joint dates, where I will take all three girls for a special treat, like ice cream, or play at the park.
But spending quality, one-on-one time with our daughters can foster a deeper relationship than when they have to share us with their siblings.
Whether it be a walk or bike ride around the neighborhood, a date to get hot chocolate or smoothies, or a trip to the movies to watch their favorite characters on the big screen, our daughters will feel cherished when we set aside intentional, individual time with them.
3. Discover and show interest in their passions.
My firstborn is crafty: she revels in painting, drawing, glueing, cutting, and, especially, sewing. I am not crafty, in the least.
But in order to best bond with her, I’m seeking to show interest in her passions.
Right now, my husband and I are planning a sewing-themed birthday party for her. It’s not something that comes naturally to me, but we know sewing it something that makes her heart sing.
Children’s passions can change as they get older, so don’t feel like your 4-year-old’s obsession with Minnie Mouse or Daisy Duck means you will be dressing her (and yourself!) in outfits like this Minnie Mouse Toddler Girl T-Shirt Dress forever (we got the ones pictured from Walmart, for a great price.).
Seeking to honor her interests now, when she is little, can pave the way for the two of you enjoying her more mature interests–like music, art, sports, etc.–when she grows older.
Keelie Reason
These are great ways to spend with your kids. 🙂 I like to let my kids help me cook. We draw together and color together sometimes too.
Erin
I love that Keelie! My girls love helping me cook, and while it is messy, it is a lot of fun!
Aimee
My girls are only 4 and 18 months but I love these ideas!
Erin
Thank you, Aimee!
Alison
My daughter and I love wondering IKEA without the boys in tow. We finish it off with their $1 yogurt cones. Cheap and fun (if you can avoid filling the cart on the way through!). She’s extremely strong willed. We lock horns a lot so it is especially important to keep up our relationship in fun ways.