Today I accomplished, accomplished, accomplished. But not really. At least, not what I should have. I swept, picked up, vacuumed, did laundry, folded laundry, put laundry away, made a million church phone calls, and organized a million little things. I was driven by fatigue and a desire for control in this life of mine that is a little out of control right now.
Deep inside a little voice kept telling me to play with my children. But I was just too busy accomplishing. And I didn't really feel like playing with them anyways. They were having "rough" days and I felt like I spent the entire day disciplining them.
Funny how it takes them being asleep in bed for me to see the connection between all that accomplishing and all that disciplining.
Tonight I read that someone's opinion that when you tell your kids to wait fifteen minutes and then you'll come, if, instead, you come right away and give those fifteen minutes to your kids, they'll return it threefold. And another wise mother wrote that the more time she invested in playing with her kids, the happier and, surprisingly, more likely to entertain themselves they were. They just needed someone to take ten or fifteen minutes to start them off by building a new train track, or a lego house, or a block zoo, or a play-doh cake, and then their imaginations could take off. I believe in all of that. Too bad I didn't read those reminders this morning instead of this night.
Ahhhh, motherhood is hard. How I love those children. Sigh.
Try again tomorrow. Thank heavens for so many more tomorrows.
Ever had a day like this?
Deep inside a little voice kept telling me to play with my children. But I was just too busy accomplishing. And I didn't really feel like playing with them anyways. They were having "rough" days and I felt like I spent the entire day disciplining them.
Funny how it takes them being asleep in bed for me to see the connection between all that accomplishing and all that disciplining.
Tonight I read that someone's opinion that when you tell your kids to wait fifteen minutes and then you'll come, if, instead, you come right away and give those fifteen minutes to your kids, they'll return it threefold. And another wise mother wrote that the more time she invested in playing with her kids, the happier and, surprisingly, more likely to entertain themselves they were. They just needed someone to take ten or fifteen minutes to start them off by building a new train track, or a lego house, or a block zoo, or a play-doh cake, and then their imaginations could take off. I believe in all of that. Too bad I didn't read those reminders this morning instead of this night.
Ahhhh, motherhood is hard. How I love those children. Sigh.
Try again tomorrow. Thank heavens for so many more tomorrows.
Ever had a day like this?
5 comments:
I had one of those days too. The kiddos were naughty, fighting, and seeking attention. I felt like I disciplined them all day and it just was a hard day. Thanks for the advice and the reminder that we have tomorrow, thank goodness. Motherhood is hard, but we can do it!
I need to copy this post and blow it up REALLY BIG and then pin it to every wall/door/flat surface of my house.
Thank you.
So true.
I'm right there with you, Lindsey! As mothers we are stretched to the limit with all we have to do and playing with the kids isn't always on our to do list. I've been in busy mode this past month and trying to schedule everything and make lists, even for the kids, and I have noticed a change in my mood, but I do need to spend more time with the kids. I really like the idea of playing with them for 10-15 minutes to get their imagination going. Thanks for sharing this!
I find I have these days too, and am so thankful for the tomorrows God's given us to try again. Thank goodness for redemption and reconciliation.
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