Recently my daughter told me that I don’t spend enough time with her. (Annnnnnd cue allll the mom guilt). I was having a super busy day after I was gone all weekend in trainings that were 12 hours each day. She was upset because I told her to play with her sister while I got just a bit more work done. The tears started (hers and almost mine).
I have been a stay at home mom since my first was born. All my time was spent with my kids. Allllll my time. My husband worked out of town and I sort of had to put in double parent duty. I have taken them on all the play dates, mommy and baby classes, volunteered at preschools and so on.
Of course, life changes. My husband no longer works his lucrative out of town job, meaning I also work. (By the way, this isn’t a woe is me. I LOVE the work I do). Even, in reality I work mostly from home, but of course computer time at home isn’t the same thing as play with my children. That’s a whole other story and set of mom guilt.
Anyways, back to the tears. I told her “okay how about you and I go on a date?”. We planned a mommy daughter date in two days when I knew I wouldn’t have to rush to get somewhere after. And this was the amazing result.
It was so simple. So perfect.
We went to the library. Free fun. Read some books together, played some games and worked the sign out process together. I happened to loose her Library card and she got to pick out a new one and everything.
Afterwards we went for a sweet hot chocolate date at Second Cup. She got extra whip cream and I couldn’t have cared if it spoiled her dinner. We talked about her favourite subject in school, her friends and they silly things she loves about them. Pondered why strawberries are red and what strange flavours of popcorn we could come up with.
Now because I’m (sort of) smart, earlier that day I took my younger daughter on the exact same date. Same place and everything. So of course there was no fighting over it all.
At first I was hurt and full of guilt by what my oldest had said to me, but in reality it lead us to these wonderful memories. Memories I know I will keep with me forever.
Time with our kids doesn’t have to be big grand gestures or lots of money. All they want is us. Our love and attention. And that’s pretty amazing isn’t it?
Take care,
