Quality time + kids = winning!
As a mom we can find ourselves juggling many things and wearing many hats. Most especially if we are working inside and outside of the home, have more than one child, have a husband or significant other and maybe try to plan a social activity or Lord forbid something for ourselves. Notice I said try! I mean I have to schedule myself going to the gym for a workout and coordinating a hair appointment and/or a manicure can take hours while I try to manipulate the calendar. We fortunately or unfortunately try to be all things to all people. We also try to give our kids the best of everything, taking them to plays, movies, concerts, on vacations we never experienced, you name it, we are on it. When at the end of the day a little quality time with mom is truly what means the most and in the long run carries the most significance to them. We have the power to inspire, impact and uplift of children by simply being present in their lives.
When I look back at my own childhood my fondest memories aren’t of the activities or events that cost the most money or were the most extravagant. What I remember most are the game nights, random sleepovers, breakfast for dinner nights or the times that were impromptu. Why? Because those were the times that were filled with laughter, where I saw my parents relax and enjoy themselves and we just embraced being us. Even if it was messy and unstructured. Let’s be real – our children’s lives these days are overly structured. Our kids have social lives and commitments that rival any working adults. While I know we get them involved to improve and enrich their lives they can still come out missing a key ingredient – us!
Sometimes it’s ok to miss a practice, to skip a rehearsal. What would really happen if we picked out kids up from school early one day just to take them out to lunch or to go to a movie? If we scheduled a “stay at home day” as my daughter calls it? Maybe connectedness – the core building of our relationships with our child. They want to know who we are, what makes us happy, what we struggle with and what makes us laugh. I know for certain that these years are flying by and my “only” will be headed to college in 5 short years. I want all I can get and there is no time to waste. So I challenge you to put your phone down, check your calendar and block some quality time with your babies. You will be blessed beyond measure and more importantly, so will they.