After the shock wore away, that number made me sad. It made me realize how easy it is to lose sight of what it's all about, because I don't think many stay at home moms go into the venture anticipating just over 30 minutes a day spending quality time with their kids. That is so outrageous! Yet I can see how it happens. Life. Busyness. All of it can creep in, and without intentionality toward something else, the things that really matter can go away without you hardly even noticing.
It was really a wake up call. Not to spend more than 30 minutes a day playing with the kids, but to think about carving out sections of time throughout our day for nothing else than sitting down and doing things with the girls. It made me see how important it is to prioritize our reading, puzzle making, picture drawing, game playing time together. Those are the things I want to do every day, not just the days that happen to be slow and I have a few extra minutes before it's time to run the next errand or change the next load of laundry.
What are my girls going to remember about their childhood when they grow up? Who can say, but I sure hope many of their memories are filled with things they did with Nathan and me, spending time together.
2 comments:
Interesting! I heard something similar to that on a Dr. Phil show recently. Something that referred to the fact that stay at home mom's have much more free time than we lead on. It is true. BUT, I wonder what constitutes free time or even play time. When we are on our way to the grocery store, we sing in the car. That to me in play time, just like playing UNO or something like that. Or when we watch Garfield, I tickle until they go nuts. I hope you aren't questioning yourself and what you do. It is interesting to re-evaluate your time, whether it be play time, cleaning the house, hubby time, etc. Perhaps I'll get off the computer and color with my kids. :)
WOW That is a surprising statistic! I have found that our days are much more enjoyable when I enlist the kids in MY chores! They are still at an age where helping me sort and fold laundry is fun! They also love to help cook, garden, and clean! It takes more time to get chores done when the kids are involved, but THEY are the reason I am home anyway! :)
Post a Comment