Many nights as I lay down to sleep I replay the days events in my mind.
Did I do this right? Did I do that right?
Did I make them feel special enough?
Did I hug them tight enough or give them more than “twenty-one hundred, million, thousand” sugars before bed as my daughter used to say.
USED to say…..She’s growing up so fast now. Seven years old isn’t old to some people but my oldest is just that. Seven going on 35. She’s so very smart and witty. Now she knows the correct number placements and corrects me when I tell her that I love her “twenty-one hundred, million, thousand.” I love her brilliance but I secretly miss her cute little sayings because in those little sayings were big feelings and words from her.
As a working mom you might feel like you are missing out on all of life’s little treasures….You know, the little moments of each day that your babies learn something new or create magic with their imaginations. Don’t feel alone, a lot of us working mama’s do. It’s OK to feel this way. Don’t let the stress of your work day rob you of the love and adoration your children are waiting to give you when you get home. Here are some little pieces of advice to help you make the most of your day when you get home.
A lot of mom’s, ( I am guilty) think that they have to be super mom when they get home to make and keep a happy family. Most of us walk in the door and greet our families and immediately go into cooking or cleaning mode.
Stop it.
Leave stress at the door.
Your babies don’t care about a clean house they care about Mommy’s undivided attention! Grab them up and kiss them and hug them as tight as you can. Ask them about their day, look at their papers and cute projects they made at school. They want you to be proud! I’ve noticed those messy coloring pages are getting neater and neater and my babies are becoming mini adults. Cherish the messy coloring pages and cute pink and turquoise dogs, frame them. 😊
Take time out to play or dance with them.
Some of the best afternoons I have with my little ones are getting home and turning on the radio while I cook. I love older music like Earth, Wind and Fire and Chicago. I will snatched them up in the livingroom while supper is cooking and put them on my hip and spin them around. We laugh and cut up. I hope they know how much those moments mean to me!
Help them with their homework.
Most kids like to show off what they did in class. They want you to notice how they learned a new word or new way to work a math problem. Sit with them, show them their work is important to you. Teach them to be proud of their work and that doing good work leads to great things. Tell them the sky is the limit on where they can go and who they can be!
Read to them.
I was once told that parents who read to their children help the children to love knowledge and books. You help them to make stories more interesting when you add character to your voice and animate the story. This is special time that you can sit and cuddle with them and bring life to books! They will always remember story time.
Art.
Oh do they ever love art. My daughters favorite thing to do with me is paint. She gets so excited when I tell her we can paint or make something. It’s our special project and we will always have it to cherish!
Pray with them.
Every night I make it a point at bedtime to stop what everyone in the house is doing so we can pray. We alternate rooms so there’s no fighting. 😆 *mine fight about whose room we prayed in last.* We pick a room and all sit on the bed. I ask them if they have anything that they are thankful for and then we ask them if they have anything they want to pray about. Usually we pray for the dog or something off the wall but it is stuff that matters to them! We say a little prayer and then we tuck them in with kisses and hugs and loving words all wound up into one loving moment.
Don’t let a precious time hop of a chunky sweet baby face pop up from a few years back and think, I wish I would have stopped and appreciated that moment more. Why was I always so rushed and worrying about stupid unimportant things?
Let’s stop and start appreciating today!
From one working mommy to another, we got this! I pray love and blessings to You and Yours!
Peace, Love and Blessings,
Lesley -thecajunhippiemama
The Cajun Hippie Mama 