Life. Errands. To-do lists. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day grind of being an adult and forget about stopping to take a look at the world through the eyes of your child. Or is that just me? I genuinely try to weave time for fun into our days, but sometimes the hectic days turn into hectic weeks. And then I'm left wondering where the time went and wishing I'd done things just a little bit different. It's that time again. Time for me to remind myself to slow down.
So in the spirit of reminding myself to slow down and say yes to the little things, I'm sharing a post I wrote that was originally published on Hands On As We Grow. Here's a few ideas for slowing down and making your kid's day.
Five things to do while running errands:
1. Jump over the cracks! (Both of you, it's more fun that way.)
2. Let them push all the buttons! (Elevators, debit card machines, coke machines)
3. Stop at the grocery store with the carousel even if you don't have shopping to do. (We do this and it's sacrificing five minutes time for some smiles and giggles. Well worth it.)
4. Take the time to stop and watch that trail of ants, find the perfect rock, or read every sign you see. (This is something we try to do everyday, but it can often get pushed to the side when we are in a hurry.)
5. Have coin races in the Children's Miracle Network donation bins. (I bring a bag of change for this purpose. We watch the coins spin round and round. We declare victors.)
Five ideas for time spent at home:
1. Let them help make dinner. Let them pick dinner! (Yes, it might be more work for you, but they'll be thrilled to help. And you might get the added bonus of them eating better than usual.)
2. Play that board game before you make the phone call. (Most games don't take that long to play and making your child a priority will make them feel extra special.)
3. Read them one more book. (Or three!)
4. Is it going to make a mess? Say "yes" and help them make it! (Let them help you clean it up. That can be almost as much fun as making the mess. No, really.)
5. Plan an extra special bath. Instead of getting them out, add more warm water once the original water turns cold. (My son looks forward to bath time, but by that time, I'm often looking forward to bed time. This is always a favorite!)
These small things can make your child very happy. And the truth is, I'm always happier on the days I've done a few of these . Have you been feeling rushed? Set out to try a couple things from this list, or come up with a few of your own.
What can you do to slow down and make your child extra happy?
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