How do you savor the time?
 

The weeks and months just seem to be going by so quickly and I find myself really wanting to be more intentional in soaking up my kids. They are growing so fast and I want to make the most of this time.

I need to put my phone down and not be online so much.

What are things you do to savor this time when they are little?

Re: How do you savor the time?
 

I struggle with this too. Keeping myself sane and everyone alive seems to take a lot of energy some days. I keep a calendar on DD's wall where I write stuff down every few days/weeks. It helps me to think about what's been happening and to remember too.

When I want to run away and hide I try to change my perspective. "In 40 yrs will I want to remember feeling trapped by a toddler and her books, or feeling like the queen of the world because my DD thought I was the bees knees because I could read to her?" "Do I want to remember wishing my baby would just freaking sleep or having a little slumber party tickle fest with her in our own special mama and baby time?"

In the now, I want to run and hide. So thinking of looking back with a bit of distance from the crazy helps me a lot.

Re: How do you savor the time?
 

I try to take a little bit of time every day to see the world through the Urchin's eyes. Instead of only reminding myself, "She's just two. This will pass." I try to think, "WHAT exactly does she see as a two year old? What does the world look like?" :heart And then I try to spend a few minutes enjoying that world. It's kind of addicting. :giggle We end up spending more time than I normally would staring at the moon or smelling every. single. colorful flower and figuring out what every gadget does in the kitchen.

I can't do it all the time (and don't really think I should), but it's a fun way to experience some time in the day. :yes

Re: How do you savor the time?
 

I often have to stop and force myself to slow down and live in the moment, rather than worry about everything I have to do tomorrow or next week.

Re: How do you savor the time?
 

I struggle with this, so... :popcorn

Re: How do you savor the time?
 

I think/feel like holidays and tradtions are going to go a long way for us. I want to figure out as many ways to make a day special as I can.

Simple things, you know? Realistic :giggle. Like sharing apple cider and cinnamon donuts on the mountain as a family for the first day of fall.

Celebrating extra things like half birthdays.

Also, so far, the AP stuff helps. Co sleeping and baby wearing :hearts

As he gets older, I guess we'll see :popcorn for ideas :)

Re: How do you savor the time?
 

I :heart that idea of traditions. I'm really bad at putting forethought into something like that. I'd like to try to get better at making certain things special.

Re: How do you savor the time?
 

Mine are not so little (they are 19, 15, 10, and 7). Savoring each moment means all the more to me now that I have the perspective of having my oldest away at college since last year and home only for holidays.

Here are what dh and I do to make the most of our moments together with the kids:

*Eat as many meals together as possible.

*Schedule date nights with each child alone about once per month or at least take 1 child along while running errands.

*Have daily tuck in rituals (or at least hugs good night) no matter how old the child

*Family game nights

*Family vacations and weekends away

*Lots of photos and videos we look at and use to reminisce often

*Holiday traditions like cutting down the Christmas tree, Christmas eve services, Thanksgiving and Easter get togethers with extended family

*Birthday parties

Re: How do you savor the time?
 

How do I savor the time...pictures...blogging - I mean it is my way of looking at now with the future in mind (does that make sense?)...writing down sweet moments ..saving my fb status updates to put in a book eventually.

:think

I love you rituals - little intentional moments where we are making eye contact and giggling together.
Hugging them at least once daily (I mean really relaxing into eachother and sniffing their heads :shifty)

Saving gcm/fb time for only when I am nursing dd3 down for naps or dh is home and I need a break.

:think

Walks outside where we go slowly and talk and "take forever".

Slowing down- that is my biggest thing I am working on now. I tend to be very focused in getting stuff DONE. I have been working on just letting it be a process.

Watching them sleep...taking pictures of then asleep...it is the sweetest sight on earth :melting

---------- Post added at 06:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:59 PM ----------

ETA I am not big on holiday traditions :think I mean we *have* traditions but I tend to feel super stressed out at the holidays (all the partying/people/hanging out ew! :bag)

And I remember my Mom always being so frazzled at the holidays (that wasn't all but she did *so* much and w my dads wok schedule I jink her expectations for herself were too high)...I just don't care if we use the super pretty table cloths, baked 5 variations of cookies, and that everything is perfect. I want to be relaxed and enjoy. So we are trying to adopt simple, pleasant, kid-driven traditions. This year (as part of "school" we will be doing one special thing a day for advent. (We did a lot last year to get ready but not 25 days)...also putting dy (estj) in charge of some traditions (like baking. Cookies w the girls and holiday bread on Xmas morning) :up that turned brambly sorry

I have also been trying to do as many little 5-10min intentional things each girl loves...RJ loves to color...aj looves to he read to...pj loves to he talked to and walked around...you do a few circuits :shifty of that a day and it deepens our days. :heart

Re: How do you savor the time?
 

Document everything you do with pictures... a "day in the life"

---------- Post added at 11:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:55 PM ----------

:heart:yes