Parent - Child Time

Sometimes as a mom of two, I feel like I am constantly on the go and have little time to really spend with the kids. Sure, I am with them (or near them, at least) most of the time, but being with them is different than spending time with them.

We have many opportunities to do things as a family. Whether a trip to an amusement park, a baseball game, a walk, a family game night, or simply dinner - there are many things that we do together as a family. We have a great time, but it doesn't give them the individual attention that they want.

When my daughter was first born, I started a tradition with my son. I would take a day (usually just an afternoon when he was younger) and it would be about us doing something - just the two of us. We would go to a baseball game with a friend and her son. We would catch a movie. We would go to lunch. We would go to the park. The activity itself was not important, the important thing was that it was his time alone with me. We would have a special day every couple of months. It was nice, with my daughter still in daycare, I didn't have to worry about whether my husband was traveling - I knew that I had childcare for her.

My husband did something similar. We signed my son up for Storytime and my husband would take him to dinner and then to Storytime, while my daughter and I spent time home alone. I valued that time alone with her as a baby. It was time that I simply had with my son, because he was the only one.

When my son reached school age, the days became more focused to summer. We would occasionally do a weekend, but usually the special days were extra special because they were during the week when everyone else was going about their normal routine.

Of course, we started to have the special time with my daughter too. So, now we have special Mommy-Daughter, Mommy-Son, Daddy-Daughter and Daddy-Son days.

On the most recent Mommy-Son day, we started our day with breakfast at Bob Evans, using his free birthday meal coupon. Then, we fit in a quick game of miniature golf - hoping the whole time that it wouldn't rain on us. Then, we headed to the toy store and spent his gift card that they sent him for his birthday. Next was lunch at Steak n Shake. We finished our day with a round of laser tag. It was a fun day, full of activities that he had chosen.

No matter the activity, it is just fun to spend a day playing alone with my children. Allowing each of them to have that special alone time with me.

This works for me!