I am constantly trying to live right now, in this moment. To not be thinking about six other things or doing 3 things at a time. It’s a challenge and I work hard at it, but how do you teach it?
I feel like I spend {at least} half my day answering questions about what’s going to happen after this, what are we going to do at this time, what are we having for that meal after next, how long until ...fill in the blank. How do you get your kids to appreciate the moment.
Parenting inquisitive kids can be exhausting but this constant need to know what’s next, before even doing what’s now is wearing me down. I try to re-focus them, remind them that we are doing THIS now and we will talk about what we’re doing three days from now when we need to but let’s focus on this.
Childhood passes by in the blink of an eye. I know they long to be bigger. To do this, do that..but today, today is the only day that he will be 7 years 2 months and she will be 5 years and 3 months, tomorrow it will be different, they will be different. Once they move that one step closer to being older, once you move into the next “phase” of books, or movies, or toys, there’s no going back. Why rush?
That’s what I keep trying to teach them, why rush?
You only get to live this day once, let live this day and not worry about tomorrow. If only I can tech them that before they are grown.
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Live
Simply teaching them to live in the moment, that's my Simple Moment, Bigger Picture this week. What's Yours
Capture
Harness the moment. Write it down, share a picture, a poem or prose. However YOU need to process and remember the moment. All moments big and small.
Share
Link up yours at Sarah's! this week.
Encourage
Try to visit the other participants and encourage each other in this journey we call life.
8 comments:
I always say that you hope your child will be bright, creative and independent until your child IS bright, creative and independent because staying one step ahead of them is hard!
Summer for my kids has been flying by. It is most apparent with the twins as every day they are mastering walking, new words, and other new *new* things. But my older kids are growing and changing, too.
We got school registration info in the mail and they have asked every day to go back to school shopping and every day I remind them that we only have three weeks of summer left, so let's enjoy it now!
AMEN! So wise.
I'm with, May. Amen!!
As you strive to model it they will get it! I also think that kids take in information about what's coming next and it settles their minds so that they can be right where they are....unlike us (as we're older) and tend to let what's coming next occupy our minds and distract us from the here and now. At least that's how it worked with my kids!
Yes ... I'm feeling you on this one to a T!
I was JUST talking to lucas about this. I think its so funny when people say they learn to live in the moment from their kids.... not my kids! They never sit still in one activity, one meal, and I have to tell them over and over to just be here now...
I so admire your efforts to teach your children the art of not rushing. It's so counter-cultural nowadays, isn't it? We Americans are always sprinting toward more, bigger, better... and we often miss the glorious (im)perfection of the moment. Good on you, Mel.
What a good point! I never ever thought about redirecting and teaching my kids to live in the moment...I've been too distracted by the chorus of the same questions over and over!
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