Are you a busy parent wondering how to make time for your kids? Do you need inspiration for pouring into little hearts? Is the busyness of each day weighing you down so that you are missing opportunities for quality time a character building? I know I fit this description! Keep reading to learn with me as we seek to Create Meaningful Moments in the day-to-day.
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What is a meaningful moment and how do you catch one?
Do you feel like you are constantly dealing with the needs of THIS moment, much less able to extend the effort to create special moments? How can a parent take time out of meal prep, laundry, homework, bath time, grocery shopping, birthday party planning, bedtime, and all those other “musts” of parenting to plan “moments” of learning and bonding?
Let’s not even talk about diaper changes, blowouts, spit ups, potty training, food throwing, tantrums, stomach viruses, well-checks, dentist appointments…. I’m exhausted just typing it all out.
Why do we even need special moments?
Is providing for our kids – making sure they’re fed, clean, and healthy not enough to prove our love? If we throw them elaborate birthday parties and make sure they get everything on their wishlists for Christmas, does that not solidify our relationship?
Is making sure they have every opportunity to succeed in life by driving them to a variety of extracurricular activities until we find the one (or several) they enjoy and can excel in not enough to ensure a successful future? If we take them to church every time the doors are open and enroll them in every program our church has to offer, is that not enough to ensure their relationship with Christ will be strong?
I propose: No.
Nothing on any of the above lists is inherently wrong.
If you have the time and the financial resources for doing all of them and still invest appropriate time in your family, that’s wonderful. Have at it.
How to make time for your kids.
What I’ve noticed with my own family is my kids don’t really care if they get to do all the fancy things as long as they have me. They don’t miss going to gymnastics classes if I climb up on the trampoline every once and a while and jump with them. They don’t mind having grilled cheese and popcorn for supper regularly if they get extra time to snuggle with me on the couch between supper and bedtime. And they don’t notice our crayons are old and no longer sharp if I’m coloring with them.
One passage that has really affected the way I view parenting is Deuteronomy 11:18-20:
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates (NIV).
What matters most is time. Time is at the center of all of the “moments” listed in this passage. Moments are purposefully created in our day-to-day lives with our children. They do not require special planning (although they can). But they do require special effort. Effort on our (the parents’) part to incorporate meaning into all these little moments that we already have. The trick is learning to recognize and utilize them.
This series is designed to help you do just that! We will look together at some of what I believe to be key ways to chase after meaningful moments with our kids. We must stay present in the moment, learn to make use of downtime, involve our kids in daily tasks, keep ourselves under control, and figure out ways to get things done while spending time together.
More resources for how to make time for your kids.
I have lots of other posts for parenting inspiration and encouragement on how to make time for your kids too – One of Those Days, Parenting with Patience, Teaching Life Skills, Parenting a Difficult Child, and many others under the Moments tab above.
If you’re looking for activities and concrete things to do with your kids to entertain, have fun, and/or teach, you’ve come to the right place! Click here or on the Activities tab above to find fun things to do broken down by age group from infant to teen like Caterpillar Races, Indoor Play for little kids and big kids, Lego Riddles, Multiplication Decoder Worksheets, and so many more than I can list!
If you’re looking for specific lessons, I have lots of Bible-inspired products. See my Shop to purchase my Advent devotional for families Jesse Tree Moments or my Lent/Easter devotional for families Resurrection Moments. I have individual lessons and lots of themed printables as well – Abraham Shows Hospitality, Jesus Is a Chain Breaker, Holy Week Activities.
Follow Chasing Those Moments on Pinterest for lots of inspiration for your family.
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