Sunday, September 03, 2006
Precious Time
“Mommy, hold you” my son asks me in his sweet little two-year-old voice, which means he wants me to hold him. This is the same son who at the end of bath-time must hand me each bath-toy one by one at a snail-slow pace so that each toy makes it out of the tub properly. And the crib paraphernalia makes its way out of the crib at the same rate. Going on the potty frequently involves a host of activities: playing with “friends” (also known as “toys”), picking out stickers and plastering them on self and on mommy, reading pony, sheep, and potty books, along with the occasional jaunt off the toilet out into the family room. If you’re a parent of a toddler, you know these descriptions as your own.
In a demanding world with traffic, bills to pay, and household chores that recur unendingly, the little people in our lives can sometimes seem like an inconvenience. Their little requests to sit and read or to wrestle and tackle with the household pillows can seem like encumbrances. The blocks you help your child build only to be pummeled over minutes later may seem like a pointless project in the midst of all that other important stuff that has to get done. That is…to you, it may seem pointless; however, to your toddler, it speaks volumes. The precious time you give to your little one demonstrates to him that he is valued and loved.
With certainty, the imperative tasks will get done; the clothes and towels in that mountain-sized laundry pile will get washed and dried eventually. Sure, the dishes won’t wash themselves, but they too will make their way into the dishwasher and eventually back into the cupboards. The bills will get paid and the lawn mowed. The calls will eventually be returned.
And the little person in your life will know he is loved… because you took the time to play with him, to listen to his two-year-old babble, to hug and kiss him, and to read the animal book for the hundredth time that day. To all the exhausted moms and dads out there, you are making a difference in the life of your child. Don’t give up!
In a demanding world with traffic, bills to pay, and household chores that recur unendingly, the little people in our lives can sometimes seem like an inconvenience. Their little requests to sit and read or to wrestle and tackle with the household pillows can seem like encumbrances. The blocks you help your child build only to be pummeled over minutes later may seem like a pointless project in the midst of all that other important stuff that has to get done. That is…to you, it may seem pointless; however, to your toddler, it speaks volumes. The precious time you give to your little one demonstrates to him that he is valued and loved.
With certainty, the imperative tasks will get done; the clothes and towels in that mountain-sized laundry pile will get washed and dried eventually. Sure, the dishes won’t wash themselves, but they too will make their way into the dishwasher and eventually back into the cupboards. The bills will get paid and the lawn mowed. The calls will eventually be returned.
And the little person in your life will know he is loved… because you took the time to play with him, to listen to his two-year-old babble, to hug and kiss him, and to read the animal book for the hundredth time that day. To all the exhausted moms and dads out there, you are making a difference in the life of your child. Don’t give up!
