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Last night my daughter, Hannah, and my husband had a “date” together. The Milwaukee Brewers gave away 5,000 tickets to last night’s game and they went to the game together.
This is not something we would have normally planned since it was a school night, but the opportunity was too good to resist. They had a great time at the game when the Brewers one with a grand slam home run in extra innings. Pretty exciting for Hannah’s first time at a baseball game.
Hannah loves to spend time when it’s just her and her daddy. A few times through the year I have about 24 hours away from home for a bible study group. Rather than being upset about my leaving, Hannah loves them because she gets to spend time alone with Daddy. Daddy doesn’t like to cook so they eat out, they watch T.V. together, which is something we don’t normally allow our kids to do, and just enjoy themselves together. She misses me and is happy when I return, but she loves her daddy time.
Dates like these with your kids are precious memories for them. Sometimes Hannah will ask me for a mommy and Hannah day. We are together every day since I get her off to school and I am home when she gets off the bus. She has alone time with me every day, but when she asks for this it means that she wants time with me that is “special” without running errands, cleaning the house or whatever our normal day holds. We may go see a movie, do some shopping, or go out for ice cream, but something where she has my full attention. It is important to her.
Our kids have come to us in various manners. Some have been placed in our families at birth, others came from international adoption, and others have come to us as older children or from backgrounds of severe abuse or neglect. Regardless of how these children joined our families they want our undivided attention.
If you have multiple children, it can be harder to find ways to spend time with each child alone but it doesn’t necessarily have to be one-on-one time, just something out of the ordinary. Pick your children up for school and head to a playground or out for ice cream. Take in a movie on a Saturday afternoon. Have a picnic at a lake or even in your front yard.
These are the moments your kids will remember rather than whether or not their clothes were folded properly or if the house was free of dust every day. I know it’s hard to do these things some times, but remember when you were a child and you wanted your parents’ attention. Our kids are no different. Enjoy the time with your kids and away from the daily grind. It’s good for everyone’s mental health.
Photo credit – Hannah and Daddy at Niagra Falls
