Browsing Tag

letting go of mom guilt

Daily Life

Spending One on One Time with My Kids

How often do you spend one-on-one time with your kids? I guess that answer probably depends on how many kids you have… I get alone time with Isabelle every week when K goes to her grandparents, but rarely get alone time with K. Last night I took K out for a night hike (that ended up being a night rain hike!)
I rarely get alone time with K.
She was so well-behaved the entire time, we talked about her favorite things, she did a ton of pretend play, and she listened when I told her it was time to go home or she had to hold my hand crossing the street. I honestly never wanted to leave. And then I thought to myself, would she be this good all the time if we were always alone? Or was it just a lucky night?
Would she be this good all the time if we were always alone? 
And then of course I felt SO GUILTY that I can never give her my 100%. Or Isabelle. Or Jason. No one gets my 100% anymore (including me) because there are 4 people in our family. And it’s hard to juggle attention. Isabelle sometimes has to cry longer than I would like because maybe I’m dressing Katie. Katie doesn’t get my full attention when she’s acting out so we have to resort to time outs instead of me sitting down and talking with her for more than a minute.
No one gets my 100% anymore (including me)
Poor Jason is always last after the kids’ needs and usually by the time the kids go to bed, we’re so drained even our conversations are half-assed. I know that’s just how things are right now while the kids are young, but it’s tough. I really do want to start doing something alone with K once a week or so now. I think it would be good for us, even if it’s just a walk outside. How do you divide time between your family members?
Daily Life

K’s Dance Recital!

Today was K’s dance recital – and what a helluva day it was! I realized around 11 that K’s dance shoes are in my cupholder in my car… and my car’s in the shop… roughly an hour away. We had to be at the recital at 345 and we were leaving school for the day around 145. There was no way to get to my car in time so we went to 2 different Targets looking for ballet shoes.
       We found something that looked similar enough to ballet shoes and left Target around 230 and still had to go home, change into her leotard, and get back for the recital. We made it with 5 minutes to spare and after a few minutes of walking around in her new shoes, K decide she didn’t want to wear shoes anyways ?. Surprisingly, even though the recital is in a different room than class (which K had a mild meltdown about) and even though her regular teacher was absent today (which K seemed to somehow not notice), and even with no shoes, she went out and did a great job.
       
          When we started this class in September, I had to get special permission for K to start because she wasn’t quite 2 and a half. The next 5 weeks K spent most of her class time sliding around the floor on her belly. I wondered if she was too young, or if I pushed her into it. She always said she was having fun though so we persisted. Halfway through the 5th week, K joined in! And she started loving it! At the start of class, I never for a second thought that by January she would be ready and willing to go out and perform for us. But she totally rocked it and I am so proud! ?