Know how you can raise an emotionally secure child despite a busy schedule, from reading bedtime stories to asking better questions. For working parents, juggling professional responsibilities while raising a child can be challenging. They may constantly worry whether they are spending enough time with their children or adequately meeting their emotional needs. Stuck between long working hours and meetings, connecting with children may be difficult.ALSO READ: Toddler to teenager: Know how excessive screen time can slow children’s growth and developmentKnow how working parents can bond with their children better. (Picture credit: Freepik)But there are practical ways parents can improve their connection and bond with their children, even within the limited pockets of time available during a busy day. Small yet consistent efforts can help children feel valued and seen.Let's hear from a child psychologist about how working parents can strengthen their connection with their children. Preeti Kwatra, co-founder and CEO of Petals Preschool and Daycare, told HT Lifestyle that feelings of guilt often surface among working parents as they are not spending enough time with their children.“There is a guilt that follows most working parents through the day. The feeling that being away means falling short,” she said.The child psychologist further described how emotional security is built. "Emotional security is not built through hours; it is built through moments. Small, consistent, intentional moments that tell a child: you are safe, you are seen, and you matter.” You may wonder how to ensure that your child feels safe, loved, valued and supported, especially when you have limited time together.Preeti shared these practical tips for working parents:1. Create small daily rituals and stick to themA 10-minute breakfast together, a proper hug before leaving for work, a bedtime story every night. These are not small things. They are the building blocks of security.Children thrive on predictability, and a reliable daily ritual tells them the world is safe even when a parent is away.2. Be fully present, not just physically thereWhen with the child, put the phone down completely. Make eye contact. Listen without planning a response.Even 15 minutes of undivided attention does more for a child than an hour spent half-distracted.3. Follow the child's lead in playLet them choose what to play and how. In those moments, the parent is not the adult in charge.They are a guest in the child's world. That shift communicates something powerful: your ideas matter, and I am here for you.Let your child choose what they want to play. (Picture credit: freepik)4. Ask better questionsSkip ‘how was your day ’? Try this question instead: What made you laugh today?This type of question opens real conversations and models that it is safe to share the full range of experience, not just the good parts.5. Validate feelings before jumping to solutionsWhen a child is upset, the instinct is to fix it. But what a child needs first is to feel understood.‘I can see you are really disappointed’ lands differently than 'don't cry.' Listen first. Then help.6. Repair after hard momentsParents lose patience. It happens. What matters is going back and saying, ‘I was stressed. You did not deserve that. I am sorry.’Children who see repair learn how to repair. That is one of the most lasting lessons a parent can give.7. Keep promises, or explain when plans changeChildren do not forget. Security is built on reliability. If something changes, say so honestly and reschedule.Children can handle change. What they cannot easily handle is feeling like they do not matter enough to be told.In the end, the psychologist reminded parents that they do not need grand gestures or try to be perfect to make their children feel secure. “Emotional security does not come from grand gestures or perfect parenting. It comes from thousands of ordinary moments done with care."Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.Adrija Dey’s proclivity for observation fuels her storytelling instinct. As a lifestyle journalist, she crafts compelling, relatable narratives across diverse touchpoints of the human experience, including wellness, mental health, relationships, interior design, home decor, food, travel, and fashion that gently nudge readers toward living a little better. For her, stories exist in flesh and bones, carried by human vessels and shaped through everyday endeavours. It is the small stories we live and share that make us human. After all, humans and their lores are the most natural and raw repositories of stories, and uncovering them, for her, is akin to peeling an orange under a winter afternoon sun. Always up for a chat, she believes the best stories come from unfiltered yapping, where "too much information" is kind of the point. A graduate of Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, and an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Adrija spends her idle hours cocooned with herbal tea and a gripping thriller, scribbling inner monologues she loosely calls poetic pieces, often with her succulents in attendance. On lazier days, she can be found binge-watching, for the nth time, one from her comfort-show holy trinity: The Office (US), Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or Modern Family. Dancing by herself to her peppy playlists, however, is an everyday ritual she swears by religiously.Read MorePsychologistChild PsychologistCatch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more. 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