Welcome to a new month...October! This happens to be my favorite month of them all, and I'd like to say it's because of pumpkin candles, autumn decorations, hot apple cider, and anticipation for the holidays. In real honesty, I love it because it's my birthday month! Yes, that's right, I claim a whole month. My parents (really, my mom) showed me that your birthday is a day to love and to celebrate...and by celebrate I mean to use as many balloons, streamers, glittery decorations, lipstick notes on the mirrors, surprises at schools, outrageously wonderful parties, and gifts you could only imagine in dreams to mark the big day. Has this put an enormously impossible standard onto the shoulders of my husband? Indeed. But, he loves me so very much and can show that love to me on my birthday in his own ways (and I still get a box of birthday surprises from my mommy!). Now, I'm just grateful to have my own child to lavish birthday magic onto. I do have to be careful, though...only a certain amount of glitter is appropriate for a boy :-)
This October is especially significant. I am turning, duh duh duh...30! While many are depressed about this milestone birthday, I'm thrilled. I made a lot of mistakes in my twenties, but I also learned a lot. It took me thirty years, it seems, to become comfortable in the woman God made me to be. I am closer to God this year than I have ever been in my life. And, I am blessed beyond words with a fantastic husband and beautiful son. My friends, I'd say 30 is looking pretty incredible. I can't wait to see what the next decade holds!
In honor of this being my 30th birthday month, I want to share a challenge that I found a few months ago. Look at this link:
Switching gears to mommyhood, I first came across this challenge of playing with your child for thirty minutes per day for thirty days and quickly dismissed it as something helpful for mommies who work outside the home. Then, I read it. I was convicted by it. I wanted to do it. Yes, I have the sweet privilege of staying at home with our son and loving it. But! How much of my day is filled with precious, uninterrupted, fully-devoted time of play with Caleb? Times where I'm focused on him and not blogging (truly, I do it before he wakes!), doing housework (a big distraction), playing on my phone (no excuses here, it's my mindless way to unwind), talking on the phone, cooking dinner, running errands, etc. Yes, he is a wonderful boy who goes with the flow most of the time, but don't we all just want our mother's attention at the end of the day (or for a glittery princess birthday party!)?
So, as my fellow blogger put this challenge out, I challenge each of you to do this with me. Today is October 1, so let's start by having at least thirty minutes of uninterrupted play with our children. Because it's October, we get a bonus day. At first, it may feel like a chore. That's okay. Like me, a lot of SAHM were teachers or worked in childcare prior to their current profession. We are in the habit of creating fantastic play spaces for children to learn and explore on their own. That's great when you have thirty children to teach. But now, mommies, we only have one or a few children to teach. Instead of facilitating a learning environment, let's experience it with them. My guess is that our chore will turn into a discipline that we are committed to accomplishing, and that will turn into a blessing which we look forward to daily. Ultimately, that is my prayer for you, and for me.
Look at these verses that describe children as a blessing from Him:
God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it." Genesis 1:28
"Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one's youth. Blessed is the woman whose quiver is full of them..." Psalm 127:3-5 (man changed to woman)
Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. "Who are these with you?" he asked. Jacob answered, "These are the children God has graciously given your servant. Genesis 33:5
"He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord!" Psalm 113:9
"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me by the One who sent me." Mark 9:37
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17
For the month of October, let's all focus on how blessed we are by are good and perfect gifts from heaven. Let's focus on playing with them in pure joy. I would love to do this adventure with you. Please comment below and tell me how it's going! Today and everyday, be blessed, while playing Legos, Barbies, or pots and pans :-)
Ugh. You've hit a weakness of mine. I certainly need to work on this. I thrive on feeling "productive," and sometimes sitting for minutes on end playing Candyland doesn't feel productive. But you're right, our children need us to feel engaged with them. Everytime my daughter asks me to play Candyland and I groan and say, "Oh, not right now," what she's hearing is, "I don't want to be with you" and is feeling pushed away and abandoned. I need this 30-day challenge and will commit to do it. It's important.
ReplyDeleteEven if Candyland is a death sentence. Sigh...
It's a weakness of mine, too! We can do it together. How I wish we were at the Candyland stage...we played blocks for 30 min. this morning. The coolest part, though, was that he can do things I had no idea he was capable of! Have fun, my friend :-)
DeleteWonderful and timely. I often feel like I don't spend enough time engaged directly with him. I'm on my phone, on my computer, cleaning, cooking, running errands...I only just saw this but that does not mean I can't jump on board.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely jump on board with us, Jayme! I will admit that I break up our play time, usually. His attention span is that of a gnat at this age, so doing bits of play throughout the day (at least 30 min.) is working well for us :-)
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