i was at the library today with my daughter. I played with her, read her a couple of books, she performed a puppet show for me and then was walking around a circle of short stools for a bit. After all of that, which was about 10 minutes, I was ready to grab a gardening magazine and let her play…but she got going on something else so I sat back down. Then a dad and daughter came over and of course I started to people watch. Adriah is fearless and walks over pushing a puppet into their faces and making funny noises. Then the girls start playing and the dad sits down, pulls out his blackberry and is on his phone the whole time. I kept watching thinking, “Nice, you come to the library for a Saturday “family outing” and you’re on your computer/phone the whole time???” It got me thinking about how we parent and how much our girls just want us to watch all the silly things they do…even when it’s boring for us and we could totally be more entertained doing something else. It was then – in the midst of judging this poor dad- that I realized I was about to do the same thing 5 minutes earlier. BUMMER.
It’s easy to say you want to invest in your kids. It’s easy to judge other people for not spending time with their kids. It’s hard to put aside “my entertainment” and focus on her and her alone. I’m learning to slow down and this was one of those life lessons I had to see it to make it sink in. I want my kids to remember me playing with them and not resenting it or making them feel like they are always bothering me. Isn’t that what i wanted from my parents? YUP.
Anyways, all that to say, how fun with your family! When you are with them be with them and when you need to get stuff done…don’t feel bad because you invested when you could!
www.noemiphotography.com
by Noemi
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