As I take him upstairs, holding hands, we talk about what we can do after resting time. He wants to play at the park. I tuck him in, give him a kiss, put on some songs he likes and say sleep tight. That took a whole 5 minutes? Maybe 7? I could've easily sent him up alone to get into bed. I have lunch to make, dinner, fold 2 baskets of clothes, and write up some insect labels, insights my older sons 2nd grade memory book, get my coffee, etc., etc., etc... When isn't there a list of things to do?
And that's when it hit me... Above our bed I finally hung up our Fathers Day Hands and Feet Project. Check it out here. And baby girls feet have a quote written in the space between her prints, "The best things in life aren't things!" While my to do list is exhaustive and infinite, my sons childhood is not. Capturing a few minutes everyday with him in between my to do list is a great way to stay connected and not get caught up in "the things" that don't matter. Will I remember the piles if laundry, probably, and with a feeling of sheer exhaustion accompanying that thought. But I will also remember that nearly everyday, I walked my son upstairs for his nap, had a chat, and got a snuggle and kiss from his cute face - now that's a memory worth stopping everything for!!
Here's some quick ways to get some great mommy moments (and memories) for a lifetime:
1. One of the best pieces of advice from my Older Sons preschool packet was "take 15 minutes every hour to spend with your child." Sounds insane I know. And no it's not easy for multitasking moms. But who said this parenting thing is easy? Our kids long for their parents attention, so why not do it on your time?
Now, you may think 15 minutes is a lot, and for some it is. But the opposite is that every time your kid comes to you, you end up saying "not now," "maybe later" and "honey mommys busy." Tell me again when your getting that kid time in? When I found myself saying these No in these creative ways, I knew I had to make a change. Here's what I've done over the last few years. Pick one habit to start. Do it for 3 days, then a week, it'll come easier then you think.
15 Minute Mommy Moments:
- when its cleanup time, I take a moment to "help" the kids get started, instead of standing over them dictating where things go, we lead by example, and put a few toys away whole recommending where there tots should go to. We clean up together. I do not do it for them.
- when they start watching TV I sit down with them for a few minutes. It helps me monitor what there watching while snuggling with my older son who usually isn't interested anymore!
- we eat all meals together at the table!! Granted its not snuggling, but it's a positive interaction where we connect by talking about the day and our family plans.
- walking my son in to bed for nap time, sometimes we even read a book together while baby girl nurses to sleep.
The days are long, but the years are very very short.
Make mistakes, breath, and Laugh.Out.Loud
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