With our busy lives, we understand the importance of spending time with our children. It’s vital to develop a strong relationship with them and maintain it as they grow older. Kids crave our time. Even more, they crave our attention. Our full attention.
How many times have you “spent time” with your kids, only to have your phone in front of your face? Or the TV on in the background, where everyone spends more time watching it than interacting with one another?
I will be the first to admit that I do it. Often far too regularly. But, the first step is admitting the problem, right?
Here’s the thing: what I described above is not quality time. It’s a farce. We use it as a way to check the box labeled “spend time with the kids” without having to actually commit to doing it. It’s also something I found myself doing far too often. Once I became self-aware, I focused on forcing myself to truly be present.
Our lives are busy enough. There is already enough pressure on each of us to be the perfect mom, dad, wife, husband, worker, fill in the blank here. The only pressure from our kids is to be present with them, in the moment. It is okay to put down the outside world for a few minutes (or a few hours) to connect with our kids.
Play the board game.
Play the card game your kids just made up. Even if it makes no sense.
Play music and have epic dance-offs.
Read books.
Talk to one another.
Tell stories.
Social media will still be around later. The movie or TV show will be available another time.
Our kids? They are only little once. One day we’ll blink and they’ll be full grown.
Don’t let their childhood pass us by.
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