After I wrote my post last night I felt the need to clarify. There's a difference between showing your kids how much you love them and making your kids the center of the universe. Finding the balance between the two can be, to reiterate my circus imagery from last night, a tight rope routine. Yes, we want to love our children, but not to the point that they get everything they want exactly when they want it.
If my daughter wanted to play beauty shop everyday for an hour, naturally I need to say "no" sometimes. Why? Because she can't always think that she is the most important person in the universe! Sometimes saying "no" is the best thing we can do for our kids. They need to learn that they are loved, but that there are also boundaries. I once heard that you should spend around 15-30 minutes a day giving your child your undivided attention in play. (I wish I could cite the source, but I just can't remember). If they have a siblings to play with, you'll have plenty of work to do just keeping them happy with eachother. Add the time you spend helping them to get dressed and ready for the day, reading before bed, and time in the car, I'd say you're actually giving them a lot of time!
So I guess I just want to encourage you not to feel guilty if you don't have time for "beauty shop" today or even this week. If you read the post last night and felt badly that you haven't had fun with your son or daughter in a while, then maybe this is a prompting to do something special with them. But keep your emotions in check. Don't let yourself feel badly if you know in your heart you are already giving 110%. When you love your kids, they know it.
If my daughter wanted to play beauty shop everyday for an hour, naturally I need to say "no" sometimes. Why? Because she can't always think that she is the most important person in the universe! Sometimes saying "no" is the best thing we can do for our kids. They need to learn that they are loved, but that there are also boundaries. I once heard that you should spend around 15-30 minutes a day giving your child your undivided attention in play. (I wish I could cite the source, but I just can't remember). If they have a siblings to play with, you'll have plenty of work to do just keeping them happy with eachother. Add the time you spend helping them to get dressed and ready for the day, reading before bed, and time in the car, I'd say you're actually giving them a lot of time!
So I guess I just want to encourage you not to feel guilty if you don't have time for "beauty shop" today or even this week. If you read the post last night and felt badly that you haven't had fun with your son or daughter in a while, then maybe this is a prompting to do something special with them. But keep your emotions in check. Don't let yourself feel badly if you know in your heart you are already giving 110%. When you love your kids, they know it.
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