Taking time to be with our children.

Swallowtail visitor.

This morning there is a beautiful sky above and the temperature is around 70 degrees.  I am sitting on the front porch watching the hummingbirds come to the feeder as well as observing the swallowtail butterflies sampling the flowers nearby.  As I sit here, my two little children are asking me what we are going to do today.  A suggestion was made by Abby to go to the park in my hometown of Jackson, Minnesota.  This idea generated much enthusiasm.  After explaining that the trip would take about 3 hours to get there, my daughter Abby said that it was ok, “We can leave now and get there yet this morning.” 

Fawn catching up with mom while she eats our apple cores.

In a child’s mind schedules and things like gasoline and car wear and tear are not critical to their ideals.  Just going out and having fun is what’s important.  Perhaps they are right at times.  Maybe we should drop things, and go and have fun.  There are occasions that we should postpone our duties and delay them so that more important things like doing fun things together as a family should occur.  Relationships for children are sometimes held in higher esteem than for us adults.  As parents,  jobs, deadlines, and obligations are deemed as the standard that we see as somthing important to many times.  When we place a commitment into our schedule, sometimes we forget the voices that hold the least sway in our lives, in relationship to the demands being placed on us.  Our children’s needs, are at times, put on the back burner so to speak. 

Swallowtail butterfly.  Another visitor to Anne's flowers.

If your days are very busy with demands that cannot be left unattended, perhaps it would be good to schedule time with your children.  My father once told me that when you want a busy man to help you with something; he usually will find the time.  This man will schedule his day in such a way that each hour is accounted for.  He will pencil you into one of those free hours, and your time with him will be guaranteed.  On the other hand, the person that is negligent with his time, has difficulty in getting many things accomplished, as well as assisting others in their needs.  Be the best at making time for your children.  

The moments in the day that we spend with our children should be a top priority in our busy lives.  If the demands of getting all our obligations completed leaves little time with them, perhaps then a reevaluation of our priorities needs to be in order.  Spending time with our children is not a difficult thing to do.  What is hard though, is spending quality time with them.  I have seen many distracted parents watching their children in parks, children sporting events, and playtimes.  Hand held phones, schedulers, and other adults talking with one another about their work, all during the time that their children want their parent’s undivided attention.  In following my advice, my daughter just asked me to help wrap a present as I sit here typing.  (It is good to listen to one’s self.)

Ruby throated hummingbird feeding by our porch.

Scheduling time with our children is so very important.  If we chose to not spend quality time with them, they will find someone that does.  By making our children’s lives our priority, it is perhaps one of the most important things that we will ever do in our day, and perhaps in our lifetime.  All one has to do is to look around and see the families that have made their children feel important.  These same parents have spent quality time with their children, as well as having listened to them.  Conversely, you can see parents that have been involved in their own individual worlds and not that of their children's lives.  Now when their children are grown, there is no one around their home, and their once busy lives are left now in solitude. 

Take time today to make your child a priority.