These days most people don't have extra money & many people are single parenting. I did that for 10 years & I want to share some of the things I did without spending a lot. I had an 8 year old daughter & 3 year old son when I separated from their father.
One idea is to have a "night out" at least once a month with each of your kids - just you & the one child. This focuses individual attention on the child. Do something that's special to you & that child. I used to do this with my daughter when I was able. With the 5 year age difference, it was important. My son didn't need it because of his age but my daugther did. Once we just went to a doughnut shop. Once we went to a play. It doesn't matter so much what you do but that you do.
I also read to my children at bedtime, even after they were quite able to & into reading on their own. I picked books that would interest us both, books they weren't necessarily choosing for themselves. I read the "Ann of Green Gables" series to my daughter, for example. I missed out on those as a child, so we shared them together. She turns 30 this month & quoted one of those books the other day. That tells you what a big impression our reading sessions had on her. I read all the "Chronicals of Narnia" books to my son since I'd only read the first one myself. I also read a little known boy detective series to him called "The Three Investigators" I think. He was reading "Goosebumps" books at the time. We created wonderful, lasting memories during those reading times.
You can also journal & scrapbook for them. I started a journal for each child shortly before they were born, & took it to the hospital with me. I wrote about the first time I held them, their early days, months, years. I wrote to them as if I was writing a letter. One of my favorite possessions is a scrapbook my father cared enough to make for me before I was 5. He filled it with nothing but interesting pictures from magazines - kittens, puppies, airplanes (because I was fascinated with them), Santa - all kinds of wonders. Because of that, I did the same for each of my kids - filled them with pictures of all their favorite things. It just tells the depth of your love when you spend time creating it.
The other thing I did was have lots of slumber parties with my kids - just us. We'd pull out the hide-a-bed in the living room, watch movies & then TV, have popcorn, soda, & a candy like at the movies. After the movies (usually 2 that they'd choose), we'd switch to TV & go to sleep together. It was very cozy & we did it almost every weekend they were home (every other with their father). If the kids had an athletic event the next morning, we'd skip the slumber party, but skipping it was rare. We usually had them to look forward to & it was wonderfully bonding. I also did a variation of that every New Years Eve they were home. Instead of our popcorn & candy, I'd make nice party snacks & that would be our dinner & out for snacking during the evening. We'd then watch the ball come down, hug & kiss, go outside & ring bells & yell. It was a wonderful way to start each new year together.
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