Until children are at least 4 , they live in the “now” with little understanding of the concept of time. Even long after that age, telling a child, “Tomorrow we will talk.” …or, “Later, I can sit down” …or “Next summer, we will all be together” often makes no sense to them. For babies and little ones, the concepts of past, present and future are all disjointed. So watch out, children may hear your words without really understand your good intentions.

Happy parents know that they must set “time” aside on so many different levels, not just talking about time but actually taking time in the now to interact with their children.

* Be a passive presence. Sit on the side of a sandbox or a bed or on the floor. Simply be there.

* Take a walk together with no destination in particular and no need to hurry.

(Finn, my daughter-in-law Erin, and even Charlotte love to walk, especially during this snowy winter when fresh air can change the whole demeanor of a long day.)

* Establish a time in your busy life when your child knows you will be likely to hear. Working moms and dads may want to consider a telephone appointment, in fact. One parent I remember would call the kids every day at 3 pm.

* Be patient. Don’t try to pull words out of the mouths of babes.

* Keep your own comments short.

* Don’t finish sentences. Don’t correct mispronunciations or grammatical errors. Under age 6, kids meander through thoughts or stories.

* Let children own their own feelings. Don’t try to talk them out of an emotion even if you disagree or don’t understand what the big deal is all about.

* Put that cell phone down. You may learn or see something quite extraordinary about your child if your brain isn’t too busy being somewhere else.