I’ve been thinking recently, how I’ve been guilty of not giving the boys enough of my precious time. Everyone knows that time is precious, but there just doesn’t seem to be enough of it to do everything we need to do – or, is it a case of want?

Time goes by too quickly. I have lists for lists of things I need to do, and by the time the day is out I feel like I haven’t even made a small dent in those lists even though it feels like I have been on the go all day long.

And then I think, did the boys feature on one of those lists? Apart from making sure they are fed at mealtimes – no. No, they didn’t. They feature jobs that I deem essential – emptying the dishwasher, doing the laundry, vacuuming. Mental lists feature pastimes that are nice to have – eating my lunch in one sitting, reading my book for five minutes, going to the toilet in peace! 

But none of these feature:

“Quality time with my boys”

And it is such a shame. Feelings of shame, for me. When did all of these other things become so important, more important, than spending the time with them that children crave so much?

Don’t get me wrong, we do have quality time, but not as much as I should give them. I’m talking about the times when perhaps, they have been building or making something and ask me to look, and I respond with – “Not right now sweetheart, I’m a bit busy”; in a child’s eyes, that must be so disappointing, right? When did that job I am doing become so important, that it is more important than my child and something they are proud of?

So now, now I take that time. A cuddle, when they want a cuddle. Help, when they want help. I don’t need to force myself; it’s like something just clicked, and it’s now a natural reaction. We shouldn’t have to force ourselves to do something that should automatically be in our parental programming. But time just gets away with us, and before we know it, time has run out.

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait ’til tomorrow
For children grow up we have learned to our sorrow
So settle down cobwebs, dust go to sleep
I am cuddling my children, and children don’t keep.

Am I alone in feeling like this, or are you guilty of not realising the importance of time too?

Linking up to:
Magic Moments with The Oliver’s Madhouse