As A Parent, How Can I Find The Time?

What’s up parents? How are YOU doing today?

This week has been an interesting one. My kids are on Spring Break, mom and dad are not. So, this leaves us in a precarious situation…what do we do with a bunch of kids who want to do stuff while mom and dad cannot? The answer? Well, I think it’s gonna look different for EACH AND EVERYONE OF US, but overall, it’s going to be the same…MAKE TIME FOR THEM!

It’s that simple. Make time for him. Make time for her. Make time for them.

Your kids are one of the MOST IMPORTANT gifts in your life, right behind God and your spouse (that means if you’re not married, guess who’s #2?). Sure, your job provides for what seems to be life’s necessities…food in the fridge, clothes on your back, roof over your head, car to get from here to there, cable to watch all your favorite shows, and whatever else you do and like. But your kids are ALIVE and your kids are STARVING FOR YOUR ATTENTION.

How many times this week have you said, “Not right now, mommy is busy.”
How many times this week have you said, “Hold on, give daddy a minute, I’m almost done.”
How many times this week have you said, “Just go outside and play.”
How many times this week have you said, “Isn’t there something on TV for you to watch?”
How many times this week have you said, “Go play your games, what did I buy them for?
How many times this week have you said, “Uh huh. Mhmm. Uh huh.” (pretending to listen to your kids while really you’re just looking at your phone)

Before you know it, your kids will be searching for ATTENTION and ACCEPTANCE in all the WRONG places. Drugs won’t seem so bad. Sex won’t seem so bad. Alcohol won’t seem so bad. Stealing won’t seem so bad. Fights won’t seem so bad. The list goes on and on. YOU have the opportunity to MAKE A DIFFERENCE in their life TODAY! Here’s a few things YOU can start doing RIGHT NOW…

#1 Put Your Freakin’ Phone Away—Your kids want to see your face, not the back of your phone.

#2 Talk TO Your Kids, Not AT Them—Ask them how they’re doing. Start a conversation. Let them know you care. Help them put a voice to whatever it is they’re going through. Teach them how to express themselves in a HEALTHY way.

#3 Remember It’s Not The End Of The World—Kids mess us. Kids break stuff. Kids rip things. As long as someone isn’t dying, is it really that bad? Ok, teach them how to be responsible, but YELLING at them only causes them to FEAR you, not LEARN FROM you.

#4 Don’t SAY They’re More Important, SHOW Them—If you work 8 hours and then come home to work for another 5 hours, you’re inadvertently raising your kids to believe they are INSIGNIFICANT. If you, their mom and dad, don’t have time for them, who the heck will? If you want to raise CONFIDENT, STRONG kids, INVEST IN THEM!

Don’t wait until tomorrow, start TODAY!