Dolly had a tantrum and tears last night and again this morning. For very silly reasons. She was angry and frustrated and I could feel her mounting tension. So this morning I told Dolly we would have a quick dinner and I would spend some quality time with her. After work with my aim of quick dinner I purchased a roast chicken from the supermarket and asparagus (on special). Once home I made a large salad with lettuce, tomato, feta cheese and asparagus. Cut up the roast chicken and plated it all up in a jiffy.
After dinner while Dolly brushed teeth and got into pyjamas, I cleared the table and washed the dishes while our returnee Helpx Jiri dried the dishes. He then headed off to my plot to water it while I spent a quality hour of playing with Dolly with her Play Dough she purchased with some of her birthday money a few weeks back. She was so happy and so was I. When we went to bed for story time I could feel the difference in her. She was calm and joyful.
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| Birthday Money Wisely Spent. |
I find frugal life can be crazy and hectic when working full time. We currently get home between 5:30 and 5:45 pm most days. We aim to get dinner (prepared and eaten), dishes washed, teeth brushed and Pj's on, stories read and garden watered, all before 7pm (bed time for Dolly). No wonder she's frustrated as we push and proddle for her to have a hurried life. She doesn't care about saving for retirement. She doesn't care about a college fund. She doesn't care about buying a house. She just wants us to play with her and cuddle her. So we played for over and hour at making "pizza" Hers had base, tomato paste, cheese and green beans. Mine at her encouragement had base, tomato paste, cheese, eggplant, ham, green beans and... blue berries!
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| Playing Cooking |
I need to slow down and give my daughter much craved quality attention. How about you? Do you feel time poor, rushed and short of breath?
I do often feel rushed, especially on Wednesdays when my son has guitar lessons after school. We don't get home until 3:45pm and my husband needs to have supper and leave for work (when he's working the night shift) by 5:00pm. It has brought me close to tears at times, trying to get a good supper on the table for him. *Thankfully* the school year is drawing to a close and we will not be so rushed for a few months!
ReplyDeleteI think when you have one child it is more tiring as you have to be parent and playmate. I have really noticed the difference when my daughter has a friend over, i don't see/hear her for hours ! they keep themsleves occupied. i used to try and incorporate a bit of play in with the chores ie can you match the socks for me and would you like to help me wipe up. shes a bit too young to go and put petrol in the car !! wicked mother are'nt i !!!
ReplyDeleteYes I do spreading one self thin trying to go to fast and never getting anywhere.
ReplyDeleteThings are so much simpler when you are a child,they don't need al the latest gadgets and toys, just imagination and time, you are so right to spend that special time with Dolly and those are the times she will remember when she is older :)
ReplyDeleteOh yes - sounda very familliar. As a single parent we get home at about 6pm - a little time to make dinner, eat and bath and bed. We are not normally in bed till about 8pm at the earliest! I have some very shouty and short tempered days. Time to follow a 100% child focused routine would be wonderful but doesn't pay the bills or provide/save for the future!
ReplyDeleteEmpathy!
Yes, the little ones do not always understand the rushing lives we sometimes lead to enable us to ultimately live a slower life.
ReplyDeleteWhat about taking time with Dolly to make some muffins for after dinner? Would it be possible for either of you to shorten your working day by and hour to spend that extra time with Dolly? Or one of change your start time so you still work a full day, but there is that little bit of extra time in the day for Dolly-time.
I may not have children, and it is impossible to be there solely for them, but may by juggling work schedules you may be find that special hour of time purely to dedicate to Dolly. She won´t be a child forever, enjoy her childhood with her.
I spent quality time with my granddaughter today and it was great! She wanted me to jump on the trampoline with her which I did. What fun, I'm 47 years old and you can act like a kid on a trampoline. We ran through wheat fields walking the dog (don't tell the farmer) laughing at chasing the dog. I put the dog lead on my granddaughter (at her request) so we could pretent she was a dog and I was walking her. What a laugh. Life gets in the way and if you just make the time, quality time spent with your children/grandchildren is actually fantastic!
ReplyDeleteOh the tantrums. We are having them from both sides (master 2.5 and Master 4 and a bit) and sometimes it is from being so rushed, they really rail against being rushed- but my two are also "spirited and string willed" so we can't bend to their demands all the time! poor little Master $ and a bit doesn't appreciate why I won't let him have a third bowl of weetbix when we have to have him at care and be somewhere for work by 9am
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am not time poor, i found myself not taking notice. I was letting my kids play on their own and if they were happy, i would happily blog. It was when i read someone elses blog that i realised that i can find pleasure in watching them in play and giving my praise for what they are doing. I need to do this more. Thanks for this post it was lovely.
ReplyDeleteI have just started working fulltime and am trying out new routines. I cook with my 13yo son through the week and "try" to get him out in the garden with me for a little bit on the weekend. I cook dinner a day ahead and then I can spend a bit of quality time with my 6yo. THough weekends are when I spend as much time as I can with the kids - much to the teenagers dismay! I am hoping that the new hours wont make me give too much up.
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