Taking my Mom on a trip to visit with 10 other family members certainly made this come easy the 2nd and 3rd week but extended work hours and living alone required some extra thought and actions the 1st week and, now, the current week. Telephone calls to those in other states have been a positive family activity as well as the occassional video call thru Skype. Probably the best part, though, is the confirmation that, even though it may only be for 15 minutes, individual in-person type activities together just can't be beat. When I was recovering from knee surgery, my Sister and Mother drove 5 hrs to see me, stayed for 2 hrs and then drove 5 hrs home. That's all the time my Sister could spare but she decided an in-person visit for 2-hrs would be better than a 12-hr phone call. I have to agree with her.
I don't have any magical stories with this one. Even if it wasn't part of the primary goals, it would have been one of mine. I need to give the kids time with dad on a regular basis.
Most days, this was the one thing that I didn't have any trouble doing since I almost always have at least the morning with Sophie before going to work. And there are a lot of things I struggle with as a mother but am pleased to say that this was the one thing I have always made a priority over the last several months. I always make sure I get down on the floor and do books or puzzles with her. So I challenged myself to figure out ways to spend quality time with Wade. This is a difficult one with the amount of hours (sometimes a little late) that he works. It has helped me to focus less on me and more on him this week as I've tried harder to make it happen. And even though it is usually no more than cuddling up for a little bit before going to bed, I have felt closer to him.
Since Aaron was born, having time for John at the end of the day has been a challenge. Having a child to take care of 24/7 is exhausting! This was something I was working on anyway, but thinking about it each day has made me more aware (as has the challenge in general) of how I spend my time with those I interact with. I consider that time special all the time now. And it's definitely worth fighting for. John and I have a wonderful relationship!
I've started driving Corben to school some mornings and I'm loving our time together. Sylvie's been benefiting a lot as well as we've been having a daily story time. It's nice to just sit and talk with my children when no one else is around. I'm loving it.
This part of the challenge has reminded me to seek individual time with my kids. I strive so hard as a mom to make sure the needs of the whole family are met. But because of that, it becomes to easy to justify putting one of them off to get something 'more important' done for the group. For instance, Dylan got a new beyblade and wanted to battle me right when I was making dinner. I normally would have told him no, but was thinking of getting my point... Putting dinner off for 15 minutes really didn't hurt anyone, and I loved playing with Dylan!
This is Brad. Em and I are pretty good about hanging out in the evenings for at least 30 minutes after Thomas goes to bed. It is kind of the reward for both of us after a long day of hard work. We typically play a board game or watch a show or both. I think one of best forms of quality time for us is walks. We usually do a couple a week. There are no distractions and it is helpful because it allows us to check in with each other and get caught up in each others' lives.
I feel like this has helped mr remember not to be too task oriented. I have a real problem with that. I have made better choices about going outside or reading books or just listening a little better. I even watched the nfl draft so that I coy,d spend better time with my husband and oldest daughter. It was kind if fun!
This is one of my favorite challenge objectives! I am so blessed to have a lot of family around to spend time with! I love all of your comments and can't add much of anything different. I agree with what Brad said about spending time with Emily at the end of the day as a reward for a long day of work. I look forward to snuggling with Scott after the kiddos go to bed. Noah loves to spend time with me just sitting together and each of us reading a book. Nathan loves talking to me about anything and everything.
This is Emily. I agree that it is nice to spend time in the evening with Brad. It is a favorite time of each day for me:). I also have been trying really hard to focus on spending good quality time with Thomas, and having conversations with him. It is mostly one way, with a few words here and there from him. But I like telling him about things that are new to him like the sky, a bird, tree, squirrel, and etc. It is nice to know that I am taking a moment to teach him, and spend time with him. It is just as good for me as it is for him.
I am so blessed to still have my parents both still mobile and cognizant. While our time together has not been without other sacrifices, I will always cherish the time we have spent together. Since I am so far away from other family members, my time with them is infrequent but all the more precious. I am so looking forward to being there so that I can enjoy each of them more often.
Any time I spend with my six children, their spouse, or their children, is special. Even if it is only a few minutes, it is worthwhile. I love them all very much. Ed (he who cannot sign in properly).
I would have to say ditto to what everyone else has already said! I am also trying hard to have a better relationship with my extended family as well as my family. I taken more opportunities to text, call, skype with my nieces and nephews in other states and build a better relationship with them as well. Its fun to learn their like, dislikes, and see them mature into adults and even have kids of their own.
I try to get two special times every day. One with Sophie and one with the wife. As I get really busy I see Sophie less and less and sometimes hardly at all. At those times I notice that if she ever wants hugs, playtime or anything in particular she wants mommy instead of daddy. When I take extra time out of my day to hug her and play with her then I stop being the familiar stranger in the house.
Taking my Mom on a trip to visit with 10 other family members certainly made this come easy the 2nd and 3rd week but extended work hours and living alone required some extra thought and actions the 1st week and, now, the current week. Telephone calls to those in other states have been a positive family activity as well as the occassional video call thru Skype. Probably the best part, though, is the confirmation that, even though it may only be for 15 minutes, individual in-person type activities together just can't be beat. When I was recovering from knee surgery, my Sister and Mother drove 5 hrs to see me, stayed for 2 hrs and then drove 5 hrs home. That's all the time my Sister could spare but she decided an in-person visit for 2-hrs would be better than a 12-hr phone call. I have to agree with her.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any magical stories with this one. Even if it wasn't part of the primary goals, it would have been one of mine. I need to give the kids time with dad on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteAnd me! :-)
DeleteMost days, this was the one thing that I didn't have any trouble doing since I almost always have at least the morning with Sophie before going to work. And there are a lot of things I struggle with as a mother but am pleased to say that this was the one thing I have always made a priority over the last several months. I always make sure I get down on the floor and do books or puzzles with her. So I challenged myself to figure out ways to spend quality time with Wade. This is a difficult one with the amount of hours (sometimes a little late) that he works. It has helped me to focus less on me and more on him this week as I've tried harder to make it happen. And even though it is usually no more than cuddling up for a little bit before going to bed, I have felt closer to him.
ReplyDeleteSince Aaron was born, having time for John at the end of the day has been a challenge. Having a child to take care of 24/7 is exhausting! This was something I was working on anyway, but thinking about it each day has made me more aware (as has the challenge in general) of how I spend my time with those I interact with. I consider that time special all the time now. And it's definitely worth fighting for. John and I have a wonderful relationship!
ReplyDeleteI've started driving Corben to school some mornings and I'm loving our time together. Sylvie's been benefiting a lot as well as we've been having a daily story time. It's nice to just sit and talk with my children when no one else is around. I'm loving it.
ReplyDeleteThis part of the challenge has reminded me to seek individual time with my kids. I strive so hard as a mom to make sure the needs of the whole family are met. But because of that, it becomes to easy to justify putting one of them off to get something 'more important' done for the group. For instance, Dylan got a new beyblade and wanted to battle me right when I was making dinner. I normally would have told him no, but was thinking of getting my point... Putting dinner off for 15 minutes really didn't hurt anyone, and I loved playing with Dylan!
ReplyDeleteThis is Brad. Em and I are pretty good about hanging out in the evenings for at least 30 minutes after Thomas goes to bed. It is kind of the reward for both of us after a long day of hard work. We typically play a board game or watch a show or both. I think one of best forms of quality time for us is walks. We usually do a couple a week. There are no distractions and it is helpful because it allows us to check in with each other and get caught up in each others' lives.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this has helped mr remember not to be too task oriented. I have a real problem with that. I have made better choices about going outside or reading books or just listening a little better. I even watched the nfl draft so that I coy,d spend better time with my husband and oldest daughter. It was kind if fun!
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite challenge objectives! I am so blessed to have a lot of family around to spend time with! I love all of your comments and can't add much of anything different. I agree with what Brad said about spending time with Emily at the end of the day as a reward for a long day of work. I look forward to snuggling with Scott after the kiddos go to bed. Noah loves to spend time with me just sitting together and each of us reading a book. Nathan loves talking to me about anything and everything.
ReplyDeleteThis is Emily. I agree that it is nice to spend time in the evening with Brad. It is a favorite time of each day for me:). I also have been trying really hard to focus on spending good quality time with Thomas, and having conversations with him. It is mostly one way, with a few words here and there from him. But I like telling him about things that are new to him like the sky, a bird, tree, squirrel, and etc. It is nice to know that I am taking a moment to teach him, and spend time with him. It is just as good for me as it is for him.
ReplyDeleteI am so blessed to still have my parents both still mobile and cognizant. While our time together has not been without other sacrifices, I will always cherish the time we have spent together. Since I am so far away from other family members, my time with them is infrequent but all the more precious. I am so looking forward to being there so that I can enjoy each of them more often.
ReplyDeleteAny time I spend with my six children, their spouse, or their children, is special. Even if it is only a few minutes, it is worthwhile. I love them all very much. Ed (he who cannot sign in properly).
ReplyDeleteI would have to say ditto to what everyone else has already said! I am also trying hard to have a better relationship with my extended family as well as my family. I taken more opportunities to text, call, skype with my nieces and nephews in other states and build a better relationship with them as well. Its fun to learn their like, dislikes, and see them mature into adults and even have kids of their own.
ReplyDeleteI try to get two special times every day. One with Sophie and one with the wife. As I get really busy I see Sophie less and less and sometimes hardly at all. At those times I notice that if she ever wants hugs, playtime or anything in particular she wants mommy instead of daddy. When I take extra time out of my day to hug her and play with her then I stop being the familiar stranger in the house.
ReplyDelete