There’s a story going around the internet about a boy who asked his dad for $50 and put it with the $50 he had in his piggy bank. Then he offered his dad $100 for an hour of Dad’s time.
I am sure that story brought tears to many eyes.
How many times have we wished we had more time to spend with our kids? Time spent there is time well spent. As I see it, there are a couple of reasons we, both dads and moms, don’t spend time with them.
Often we consider our jobs more important than the kids. Sometimes, perhaps they are. But, as one nine year old boy told me, “That excuse is getting old.”
There is the occasional reason, the HVAC repair man who gets called to fix a furnace, the line-man who needs to go out in or after a storm to bring power back to a community, and, of course the doctor who needs to care for a sick person. These are just some of the reasons, but there are many more. The good news here is that now days these public servants have a call schedule which gives them time off. So while that can be an occasional reason, it can also become an excuse.
Then there is the idea that when we spend time with our kids we need to “do something”. If there is no where to go, or nothing to see, we may feel there is no need to be with the kids. But, “doing something” is over-rated. Watching a movie or TV program is not really doing something together unless we take time during commercials or after the movie to talk about what we saw. If so, we and they, can have a positive experience. Similarly, watching a sporting event can either be positive time or “no” together time. It depends on how we use that time, how we relate to them during and after the event.
It’s the same with going to church and Sunday school. Do we take time to review the readings, the sermon, or the school lesson on the way home or later in the day? A little discussion will enhance the learning, but what’s even better is that the discussion will impart the importance of going to church, temple, or where ever your religious group meets.
Just being there is so important!
So, my prayer this Sunday is that we parents all find some time today to spend with our kids and family. Even doing nothing but being there is fine.
Enjoy your day!