Time

I am in the midst of studying to teach a parenting lesson this week. Yes, I understand that I am only 3 years into the venture and don't have much to add. However, I am a good reader and I can compile the wisdom of people far wiser (and farther along) in their parenting than me. I am actually using part of a lesson that I taught before in the upcoming one and as I was reading it, I was convicted, again. It's what the Lord is impressing on me that I need to be doing for my children. The number one need of our children is unconditional love. One of the ways that we give that to our children is through our undivided, uniteruppted, unhurried TIME. Yes, that which we feel like we have the least amount of. Here's the excerpt from my lesson that has been kicking my rear for the last few days. May I be reminded of giving this to my children:

If Women spell love T-A-L-K and men spell love S-E-X, then our children spell love T-I-M-E! Our children need our undivided, uninterrupted time. Some of us have a false idea that if we spend quality time, then the quantity of time is irrelevant. Jenkins says that this is the same as one minute parenting, that we can accomplish all we need in one minute or less so that we can get on with our hurried lives. Let me tell you what Dr. Dobson has to say,

“I'm afraid the logic of that concept is flawed to me. The question is, why do we have to choose between the virtues of quantity versus quality? We won't accept that forced choice in any other area of our lives. So why is it only relevant to our children?
(Dobson) Let me illustrate my point. Let's suppose you've looked forward all day to eating at one of the finest restaurants in town. The waiter brings you a menu, and you order the most expensive steak in the house. But when the meal arrives, you see a tiny piece of meat about one-inch square in the center of the plate. When you complain about the size of the steak, the waiter says, ‘Sir, I recognize that the portion is small, but that's the finest corn-fed beef money can buy. You'll never find a better bite of meat than we've served you tonight. As to the portion, I hope you understand that it's not the quantity that matters, it's the quality that counts.’”

We are appearing to care, when in essence we are doing nothing more than baby-sitting. Ladies, our children are smart cookies, they can see right through whatever we are trying to do and our lack of attention in spending time with them says one thing to them, “The TV, computer, phone, whatever else that has my mom’s attention at the moment is more important than me” Let me translate for you, “I’m not loved.” Let me translate it another way, “What Oprah has to say is more important than what I have to say.” Ladies, it is time we hang up the phone, unplug the internet, turn off the T.V., put down the sewing and focus on our children. They desperately need some uninterrupted, one on one, eye time with our children. Ex// Lest you think that I am not getting my own toes stepped on…while I was on the phone with a friend going over this particular piece of the lesson, my son toppled head over heals out of a patio chair, off our deck and onto the ground.

Here are some suggestions of what we can do to put more time back in our schedules (some are from Dr. Dobson):
- Watch less TV
- Work from home.
- Slow down: give up some activities/ prioritize (set priorities for your home and then when making decisions ask “does this decision fit into what I want my house to be?")
- Spend less time on hobbies/recreation
- Ask a friend/relative for help
- Postpone a goal (getting a degree, remodeling the house, etc)
- Better manage the time I do have – get organized
- Get up earlier/stay up later to get the cleaning/laundry/bills paid so you have more awake time w/kids

Ask questions, share activities, listen with your eyes

Time is the one thing that we can not go back and recover. Once today is gone, it is gone. We should live every moment with our children to the fullest. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Do not squander time, for it is the stuff life is made of.” As Erma Bombeck says, “Will your child remember that it was clean behind the toilet or that you stood in the rain at the soccer game?”