4 Tips for How to Enjoy Your Children More
Not every aspect of motherhood is enjoyable but it shouldn’t all be difficult and overwhelming either. Unfortunately, it can quickly become that way so I wanted to find out, how can I enjoy my children more?
Being a mom is no joke and takes a lot out of a person. But there is no reason why we shouldn’t enjoy ourselves too. The best way to enjoy motherhood is by learning to enjoy our children. We can get into their world or invite them into ours. We can also just observe them playing or we can take specific moments to pray over them. All of these won’t take away the work of motherhood but it will certainly help us to enjoy our children more.
Being a mom is no joke and takes a lot out of a person. But there is no reason why we shouldn’t enjoy ourselves too. The best way to enjoy motherhood is by learning to enjoy our children. We can get into their world or invite them into ours. We can also just observe them playing or we can take specific moments to pray over them. All of these won’t take away the work of motherhood but it will certainly help us to enjoy our children more.
Baby yawns are adorable. I remember spending hours watching them sleep. And hiccup. And sneeze. Even pooping was entertaining! It is so easy to enjoy your children when they’re fresh and soft and adorable.
Now they are older and those once-nibblicious toes have toenails that need to be trimmed, attached to dirty, stinky feet that have been run hard all day. Reminders to wash his hands after he “drops a bomb” in the bathroom (my husband’s words) are met with a smell I never thought I would associate with that adorable tushie. And those mid-day nap times of blissful baby-gazing have been replaced by preparing healthy snacks that cover as many food groups as possible yet are simple, and fun, enough that they aren’t rejected.
Mothering is an amazing gift, yet it is so easy to get lost in the day-to-day details. It is so easy to forget how to enjoy your children. Our children are a heritage from the Lord but they can sometimes (often?) feel like a burden. I’ve mentioned before about how the basics of motherhood is to develop a positive attitude and to call on the Lord for the strength to continue forward. But how do you get back to a place where you can truly say you enjoy your role as a mother?
It isn’t always easy to enjoy every moment. And I’m not saying you need to (does anyone actually enjoy wiping snotty noses?). It is, however, possible to enjoy them more.
Mothering is an amazing gift, yet it is so easy to get lost in the day-to-day details. It is so easy to forget how to enjoy your children. Our children are a heritage from the Lord but they can sometimes (often?) feel like a burden.
1. Get into their world
Find out what they enjoy and join them in it. Does your child enjoy painting? Paint with him instead of setting him up to do it on his own. What about stories? Make it a goal to read at least one story of their choice out loud every day (and don’t complain if it’s always the same one). What about physical activity? Go for a walk together or kick a ball around.
2. Allow them into your world and hobbies
Bring them into the kitchen when you are baking or cooking dinner, even if it does take longer and make more of a mess. Let them wash dishes, sweep floors, vacuum, or fold laundry. Ask for their ideas when you are writing. Teach them to scrapbook or crochet or play piano or take photographs.
3. Observe
Sometimes all it takes is a pig puppet and a handful of craft sticks to get kids giggling. Or a couple of sleeping bags to scootch around the floor in while pretending to be snakes. Give yourself permission to laugh with them. Enjoy their antics and imaginations. Their silly jokes and games. Kids laugh so much easier than adults. Harness their joy and appreciate them in a whole new way.
4. Pray over them as they sleep
Soak in their innocence and fall in love all over again.
Our children deserve the best of us but we also have the privilege of enjoying the best of them. This week I’m going to bring my kids more into my world. They love to help in the kitchen so I’m committing to allowing them to help with dinner preparations.
Which of these ideas are you going to pursue over this next week?
I love bringing my girls into my world. Crafting and baking together is what we do. They inspire me as I teach them. It’s a beautiful trade off. I must admit tip number 4 put a tear in my eye. Being a mom is such a beautiful gift. Thanks for the lovely reminder.
It’s amazing how fun it can be to do things with our kids. It is often so easy to just brush them off and do it ourselves but it is so worth it to make that extra effort. I’m learning about how important it is to pray over my kids regularly. It make such a difference in their lives and my own outlook.
Really great ideas; I can’t pick just one, I need to do them all. I’d like to start with praying if those little buggers would ever go to sleep. Sigh…
Lol! I can relate. After 5 years of having littles up until I went to bed, both my boys started going to sleep at 7:30pm with my husband taking over bedtime duties. I have really enjoyed the last 6 or so months with quiet evenings (though the almost 3 year old still wakes up several times per night). I’m enjoying it while it lasts because we are headed right back to the beginning of the sleep journey again.
My oldest is only two and he loves it when I get on his level! We sit on the floor and line up all his toy animals just to knock them down again. Fun stuff! He also loves to help me anyway he can. He’s the laundry king! As long as I don’t actually want things folded…lol
Great advice! Thanks for sharing.
Sounds like a lot of fun. It’s the simple things, right? I actually just had the pleasure of discovering that my almost 3 year old knows how to fold rags. Yay for help with laundry! I’m enjoying it while it is still a novelty for him and his older brother.
My daughter loves it when I get into her world! She wants me to come into her blanket cave with her, eat the invisible food she’s prepared, just sit and be with her. You are right, it can be easy to get lost in the day to day details of being a mom. It’s so important to slow down enough to enjoy these moments and be a part of my kids’ life.
That is so sweet! My boys are all about building forts (to protect them from the jungle) and then we read stories in there. Interesting how they can have such amazing imaginations. What a blessing to be able to take part in their fun 🙂