I adored every moment I spent with my children when they were young, despite being more or less a single parent. Perhaps it was because I didn't think of them as my "friends" but as my children, and set clear boundaries as well as making it clear that a complaint had to be presented along with a realistic solution. I also involved them in the process of solving problems ("it's raining so we can't go to the park; what shall we do instead?") which encouraged them to look for solutions rather than simply whining. And I arranged the household so that there were very few electronic distractions; reading, drawing/painting, and playing with toys were preferred activities. This enabled them to develop patience, attention skills, and required more energy expenditure than simply gawping at a screen for hours at a time.