What are ways that we are not present with our children?
- Texting while they're talking to us.
- Not looking at them - into their eyes and souls - when they're baring theirs to us.
- Letting our minds wander about what we could be doing instead of watching them play.
- Cleaning up everything in the house that we can possibly think of instead of just being with them - like they constantly ask us to do. And what do we say, "In just a minute...right after I do this thing...."
What message do these send to our children?
- You're not as important to me as I say you are.
- My friends, cell phone, cleaning responsibilities, etc. are the priority...you can wait.
I am guilty of doing all these things - putting more energy into distractions, than into the very beings I was part of creating. I will always have a million things to do, that's just the nature of life. But why not make playing and being present (both mentally and physically) the "rule" and not just the occasional "exception?"
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