Be Present When You Spend Time With Your Children

A few years ago I was a private Montessori tutor for two different families with triplets and I often think back and are grateful for what I learned during those years. As an educator you give these children your undivided attention and they start relying on you for that. Their parents became too busy to be present and employed and relied on staff to fill that void. When they were home, they were always on the phone or catching up with friends or entertaining.

It seems so important to have our careers so we can be high income earners and buy our children the latest toys and enrolled them in the best private schools. I thought the same and did exactly that, but I also made a point of spending time with my children. We had a wonderful late afternoon and bath and bedtime routine and as parents we were present. No phones, no interruptions. It’s funny how they remember the times we just lay on a blanket outside by the pool or the walks around the block in our neighbourhood but they don’t remember the elaborate birthday parties we had for them.

Be present when you spend time with your children. Being constantly on the phone or busy on your laptop whilst they are playing or needing your attention is just not enough. Being there when they experiencing new tastes or smells or seeing an expression on their face when you tickle them is priceless. You need to be present when they are trying to tell you about their day.

It is important to show your children that phone calls can wait and that nothing else is more important to you than them. We need to show our children that it is ok to make someone wait a little while and that our time with them is unconditional.

Teach them to be present. Take your teepee into the garden and let them cuddle and tell you about their day.

For ideas on using a teepee to as a place for your child to escape to or read or nap, follow us on Instagram or find us on Jozikids and #support local small businesses.

Photo Credit: canva.com