Is it possible to spend enough time with your kids?
Posted 10th May 2010 by artsymom3769, tagged time with kids, ideas to spend time with kids,
I like many of you face the question on a daily basis...do I spend enough time with my kids? Do they feel important, loved and worthy of my time?
The answer struck me the other day as I was watching my Baby(15 years old, 5'9", female) walk away from my car at yet another activity which I was dropping her off at and coming back later to pick her up.
The answer to the first question is a resounding "NO"! You can never spend enough time with your kids! I have spent uncountable hours watching my three daughters and four step kids play sports, perform in plays and band/choir performances. I have attended more back to school nights, open houses and fairs than any one person should have to endure. I have taken them to endless lessons, practices and sessions! I have stayed up late to help with the science project where we made gum, the sick child and the dreaded outfit picking! (Remember I have teenage daughters) I have read stories every night from the time they were old enough to look at the pages until my youngest was 11 and said, "Mom, I want to read to you!" I have done the work! I have spent more time on my kids than most...and frankly, it still is not enough!
I think that I have done a pretty good job, My oldest is doing something she loves and making money at it, she is a well rounded and happy person. My middle girl is about to attend a four year university on an academic scholarship. My youngest is a star athelete (making varsity as a freshman in the two sports she competes in) and a great student (3.5 gpa and takes honors classes). They are all intelligent, articulate contributing members of society...or well on their way to being that. They love their mother, their God and their Country! I feel pretty good about it, and yet I still feel like I should have and could have spent more time, playing, listening, creating and having fun with them!
So I thought about what I should have and would do differently...here a few to ponder as you are raising your own...
1. I should have read more stories and skipped tv altogether! TV does nothing to enrich their minds or really as it turns out grow their imaginations!
2. I would have played dress up and barbies more, not my thing, but it would have helped them to be able to more effectively play alone more too!
3. I would have taken the time to teach them more life tasks...okay I have taught them alot...laundry, cooking, cleaning and shopping. But I should have taught them planning and valuing more.
2 comments so far...
Flag as inappropriate Posted by eileen b on 5th June 2010
The prior week she'd been blowing dandelion puffs and declared her wish to be to "spend more time with my mommy". Which, as a working mom rips your heart a little bit. So this weekend her dad had already declared he couldn't take his regular visit so we went out to dinner Saturday (because I didn't want to hassle on Sunday) and she said, "I like it when its just you & me" which tells me she got it that this was a bit of my trying to meet her desire for more time.
So yeah, there'll never be enough time. And for us there'll never be the $ to go to many cultural events (though I do hold museum memberships). But at least this Mother's Day weekend, I got to focus on the fun that comes with being a mother, namely that "I love you" from the small child.
Flag as inappropriate Posted by Mich on 11th May 2010