She hath wings

What a busy start to the school year- I had already returned to work the week prior to when my son returned. My daughter has been super clingy and my son has been struggling to fall asleep till late- so much in his mind. I have had a tendency to brush off their neediness, so drained of mental energy myself. Many times I had wished for some silence to process my thoughts but stress rose in the constant clamour. Then came a bit of a dollar-dropping moment.

This intense mum season will get quieter, but so will the requests to play with me or for me to listen to another story about Mr B’s Minecraft hobby or to decipher some cutey phrase that Miss A is trying to compose. The time is now! My agenda needs to move over so that my kids feel loved. I need to take time out for myself, but I need to shower my kids with a whole lot of love also. I needn’t be half present- if I’m there, I need to be all in. They know when I’m not really connected. They also learn what I do, more than what I say or write in a birthday card.

Are you fully present with your loved ones when you visit them or have meals with them? Do you count down the hours to solitude or are you grateful that somebody needs you? It takes work sometimes, but it is a worthy investment of time.