Face Time

When I first closed the studio and was offered the opportunity to spend every day at home with my girls, I was so thrilled! So thrilled in fact that I actually entertained the idea of home-schooling them. For those of you who know me, you know this could have turned into quite a challenge for me but you also know, I am always up for a challenge!

Now 8 weeks into summer vacation I know, at this point in my life, I am not ready to home-school. Not even close. But I have learned many, many valuable lessons while being at home and I am grateful beyond words that I was given this opportunity.

I always go back to the reality that my daughters were born to teach me something. I am only here as their guide - they are my lesson and as soon as I accepted that, it made life very easy. In fact, my new mantra is "What quality can I birth during this challening situation?" Every single day I am offered the opportunity to birth more and more qualities that move me more toward the mom I really want to be. Too many times to count actually.

Patience has been a big one that keeps carrying over week after week after week....

Anyway, sometimes I get it and sometimes I fall right back into my old patterns and behaviors. But the Universe is there reminding me .... next time you'll get it... not to worry. I will keep giving you chances to get it right!

A valuable lesson I have learned is how taking the time each day really helps. I was talking to a friend of mine and she mentioned that she read that the "appropriate time" we should be spending with our kids each day is something like 15 minutes, twice a day. Both of us laughed and agreed that was crazy. That was nothing!

So I decided to really look at what I was doing to spend quality time with the girls. Not just letting them play on their own, or going to the park and watching them run around or even watching movies together. I'm talking real, quality, face-to-face time.

It's amazing what a shift it makes in our day.

That's all they want. Our face - listening to them intently without distraction. But isn't that what we all want? To be heard?

So we swim and have dive races. We paint, we take turns reading, we play tic-tac-toe and hangman. And I am doing these things before I sit and do my writing or my reading or my phone calls. I sit and spend 15-30 minutes doing something with them several times a day and it works!

Maybe I'm the only mom out there that didn't get this. Maybe I'm the only one who was trying to get some "alone time" before I gave them "face time". But for those of you who are in the same boat as me, wanting some alone time .... give them face time first. It works every time and the love, respect and admiration that is created for everyone in this situation really is incredible.

Have a great day!