How To Show Your Child You Enjoy Them

We wake up each day as moms with a to do list at least a mile long, but have you ever considered putting that aside for a day? Today I am chatting about how to show your child you enjoy them. Let me just make a confession up front, I am that type A personality that thrives on seeing my accomplishments at the end of the day. I NEED to see that I actually did something with my time and got boxes checked off on my list. 2 weeks ago when I attended our first MOPS meeting here in Ithaca, I was totally convicted by something I heard. The MOPS president chatted about how we often get caught up in our to do list or being the perfect mom that we fail to enjoy our children. This hit me right in the heart.

You see, in my mind if I am cooking my family wholesome meals, keeping the laundry washed and the apartment tidy, teaching music lessons and blogging, I feel like I am doing something that counts. In fact I feel some days that it counts more  than if I am sitting down playing Legos with my child for an hour. Do I have it backwards or what. Of course, I spend time with George every single day. He “helps” me cook, likes to spray the bathroom with cleaner while I clean and loves to push the button to start the dryer. Did you catch all that?! He helps me knock out my to do list! When the lady asked how often we actually enjoy our children, I knew that was something I needed to work on.

For the past 2 weeks that thought has been on my heart. I have made a conscious effort to put down my phone, put the list aside and spend time with George. Not just spend time but letting loose and really enjoying him. We have had dance parties, played with play dough, collected a million acorns and kicked the soccer ball at the park. Whether or not he has noticed the change in my outlook, I know my heart has changed. The more time I actually make to enjoy him the less everything else really matters. That’s not to say that I do not have the daily chores and things I have to get done, I just make sure that I have really spent time with him and in his world before I spend my whole day on me. 18 years goes by fast I know and at the end, I want no regrets. I want to know that we did everything we could together to make this time count. Children know if their parents enjoy them or if they are just something else that needs taken care of. They are more perceptive than we give them credit for and the last thing I want George thinking is that some to do list is more important than him.

So moms how are we going to enjoy our kiddos this week?  What are we going to lay aside to really get into their world for a bit?  Thanks so much for stopping by!