I spent about 20 minutes this morning looking for an old Facebook post from 2009. It was over a year after I had my first child, and shortly before I would become pregnant with my second. In the status update, I bemoaned my son’s ability to monopolize all my time.
“Is it too much to ask to have 5 minutes to myself? Mommy, play with me. Mommy, watch me. Mommy, give me. Mommy, pick me up. Mommy, I’m hungry. Argh!!! I love my kid but I need to find just 5 more minutes in the day! Signed, a woman who spends more time playing with cars than making meals.”
Today, that little boy is almost 7 years old. He wakes, clothes and washes himself. He comes home from school and finds his own snack. And when I hover… when I ask if he needs anything… he says, “No. I’m okay.”
And it’s in these moments, when a I look upon the independent, strong-willed and eccentric little man before me, I’m so happy I made the time to play.
For today, and forevermore, I will cherish the moments we got down on all fours and pushed cars across the floor. When he’s busy with homework, I’ll think about the nights we were busy building blocks. When he leaves home, I’ll recall our play home, and how he’d never leave without blowing me a kiss goodbye.
Do you make the time to play?
Fisher-Price is a company that has earned my trust, support, and unconditional endorsement. All of my “play time” memories are firmly attached to their toys, and I know that in years to come, I’ll fondly reminisce about those moments of interaction, love and bonding between mother and child. …