There has been a lot going on in our lives lately. Emotions have been high, sleep has been low. Work has been busy, life has been busier.
As a result, during the few hours I get at home with my kids before their bed time, I’ve been impatient and snappy.
The other night I was upset with them because they weren’t going to sleep quickly. All I wanted was a quiet evening after they went to bed and it was just not happening. All they wanted was to sleep on top of me and shower me with cuddles and kisses.
In the midst of being bombarded with cuddles and kisses, it dawned on me how nothing else matters in this moment. I feel awful for being upset with them, when all they had for me in that moment was love and more love. I took a deep breath and gave in to all the love I was getting from my toddlers. All time limits were gone.
Life will always get in the way of things if you let it. Refocusing your energy on what matters and really letting go of everything else is the only way to embrace the present.
You are their world
My kids are almost 3 and 5. My husband and I are their entire world. The next time you can’t wait for your kids to go to sleep, remember that you are their entire world. As they grow up, perhaps you won’t be; so for now enjoy every minute of it as it’s not coming back.
Being present
Lately I feel that I have not been present with my kids when I am home. I have been preoccupied and not 100% there. Of course, being present has its ebbs and flows, but in those 1-2 hours I have with my kids when I get home, I’m trying to put everything else behind and be 100% present with my kids. Everything else can wait; it really can.
If you think deeply about what is preoccupying you, the likelihood is that if you put it in perspective of the bigger picture, it’s not important. So let it go, and just be. I have started putting my phone away when I get home, and not touching it till my kids are asleep. It makes a huge difference.
Your kids can sense your stress
Kids are super intuitive and reflect your energy. Notice how if you are calm, your kids are calm. If you are agitated, your kids become agitated. If you are impatient, your kids are too. Similarly, when you are stressed, they feel it.
In one of the first-ever studies of what children think about their working parents, majority of the 1000+ children surveyed between ages 8-18 said that the one thing they wish their parents would be is less stressed. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the lack of time with parents. So try to relax with your kids. Go with the flow!
Managing your energy
I’ve written before about managing your energy over your time. This holds even more important when you have holidays or a long weekend.
If you have had a lot going on, perhaps take the holiday season to re-energize. Focus on being present with your kids rather than packing the day with a million things to do. Your kids, especially if they are young, are just happy to be with you. So give them the best of you.
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Here’s to spending the rest of the year 100% present with our kids when we are with them, and waltzing into 2023 doing the same.
Wishing you an amazing week ahead. For those of you in Dubai, enjoy the long weekend.
Love,
Abha x
This is a great message! :)