Parents, it’s your time to shine

Parents. I mean me! Now is your time to shine! 

Yesterday I realized the tole this isolation is having on my 2 year olds emotions. When I’m frustrated and at a loss for a creative activity, she thinks I’m mad at her. Mad. At. Her. A 2 year old. She’s internalizing what’s going on as something she did wrong. If that tells me anything it’s that I need to put on a happy face no matter what I’m going through. Why?  What about my feelings. Who cares about me to be honest, I’m an adult and I realize that this experience can be a mind fuck or I can do what I’m suppose to do as a parent and selflessly put me aside completely.  

There are specific moments I remember from my childhood that shaped me for life and this experience will shape part of your child’s psyche for life. Now is your time to shine and dig deep.  It’s not hard, it’s challenging and your goal is to keep your cool and use humor and creativity to show your child that it’s easy to make the best of things when you’re together. Show them that sitting and listening to music and singing and dancing and making faces does make being stuck in the house better. Take away the iPad and engage. Get on their level. 

I keep hearing about the children’s resistance to school and only wanting to sit and stare at tv.  Many of you didn’t stay at home with your children when they were young and now is your chance. All those people fighting for longer maternity leave now you have it. You have the gift of time with your child. You can complain that it’s hard or you can use this time to shine in the eyes of your child and let them be the center of your world with your full attention. We all have moments where we need to get that email out and our kid is jumping on our lap or tugging at our shirt wanting our attention and now is the time to give it to them. Put the email aside and plan a time when your child won’t need you to do it. Set up an art project and as it starts send an email. Work around your child’s needs and now you’re given the luxury of time. 

I have to spread out our day over 15 hours because that’s my daughters typical awake span. I know from 5:30 am - 8pm my priority is  to make the best of this for her. I know I won’t be perfect and I’ll have my moments but knowing that my child is internalizing this and could think this is her fault, makes it all that more important that I work harder to make her feel special, amused, busy, engaged and productive instead of like a burden adding

to the stress of this situation because they aren’t. 

Children are the most wonderful part of life. First you have your childhood which you cherish the wonderful memories of and then if you’re lucky you get to give someone theirs. This is your baby’s childhood and they’re the most wonderful part of your life and now is your time to shine. For them. For you. Be silly. Be positive. Smile. Give extra love and keep your stress and complaints to yourself. Shine!