The Gift of Time and Presence with Our Children

My six year old son wakes up every day excited about life… especially now that summer is in full swing. “What are we doing today Mommy?” he asks, obviously hoping it’s something extraordinarily fun and based on his preferences. My list of “to do’s” has been swirling around in my head since before day break, but he doesn’t want to hear about what we “have” to do or rather what I have to do. He wants to experience fun connection with me. It’s not always easy to entertain a 6 year old with strong clear preferences so I always appreciate ideas and insights from other parents.

I explain that he “gets” to play while I work but afterwards we’re going to spend some fun time together! “What will we do?” he always wants to know (can’t blame him…I love being informed too). “We’re going to make the most magnificent art work anyone has ever seen!” He loves this idea so we proceed to get ready for the day.

I love what I do – talking with new parents and finding healthy solutions, researching new products, bookkeeping – all the usual left brain activities. I genuinely care about our Healthy Child customers and supporting families in wellness, and I’ve yet to align with my “artistic” abilities. So when we received an email the other day from Talia at Holkids http://holkids.blogspot.com I was delighted to see their vibrant, colorful and helpful website. Holkids is an online magazine for kids about holistic health and living. There are several suggestions for spending quality time with our children, including art work, yoga positions, and a healthy banana bread recipe. Talia is following her passion and doing her best to share it with the world. I’m happy to support people (especially mothers) in sharing their gifts with the world and I love hearing from you as well.

I wanted to share this little story with you as a reminder that the best gift we can give our loved ones (especially children) is our time and presence. Sometimes it’s something as simple as playing with art, doing yoga or baking a treat together. Our time honors their need (and ours) for connection and creates a sense of value, love and appreciation.

We hope your summer is unfolding pleasantly and that you have the opportunity to spend quality time with your precious little ones, creating happy memories and a foundation of being valued, loved and appreciated.

Blessings,
Valerie

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