Honestly, when I first got this book last summer, I wasn't really sure I was "ready" for this kind of thing. Silas wasn't a year old yet & I felt like I needed parenting books on getting your kid to sleep thru the night or how to force your kid to eat meat! I was thinking about weaning him, walking, turning one and another baby on the way. I need a book about discipline & feisty boys! Why did I need a book about building a solid family? I don't have school aged kids. I felt like this was just not going to be up my ally. Fast forward to this week in September and starting to reading the first chapter of this book: The Power of Being There....
"Parenting isn't easy... Parenting is frustrating... Parenting is delayed gratification...Parenting is the highest calling on earth. There is no doubt that one of the primary reasons God placed you on this planet was to pass on a positive, healthy legacy to your family...Besides your relationship with God, your relations with your children is primary; your influence and impact on them will, no doubt, be your greatest legacy[Burns, 14]."
Maybe I'm not at the point yet where I can sit down & have a really great talk with Silas or use all the ideas this book has considering his age. But I feel lucky that I get to being my journey of motherhood with ideas to BUILD a solid family. This first chapter talks about the Power of "being there". Being intentional in the time you spend with your kids. It was definitely a wake up call for me.
Being a stay at home mom I think I tend to get caught up in "doing" not so much "being". Sometimes I feel like Silas is "in my way" and I can't get the floors clean because he's trying to help sweep too. Or it's taking me twice as long to cook dinner because he is begging at my leg to see me cook or stir. A few weeks back I wrote about trying to put aside my perfectionist tendencies to let Silas be creative with his. I feel like this totally goes along with this chapter. I get to re-evaluate how I want Silas to remember his childhood now, before it's even really started. So how am I going to be intentional about spending time with him? What am I going to prioritize of how he remembered growing up? So far this is what I have come up with...
- Spend morning & nap wake ups cuddling (Silas's favorite)
- Including Silas when he wants to "help" cook & clean (even when it means taking longer)
- Doing at least 1 new interactive project together each week
- Trying for a family field trip once a month
- Continue praying at night before bed
- Continue to make family dinner time a priority (TV off!)& holding hands during prayer time
As Silas gets older & more kids come along, I'm sure the list will grow and change. But even more important to continue to think about...
How are you intentional about spending quality time with your kids? How are you "there" with them? I'd like to hear your suggestions!
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