It's a Date!

There have been a lot of serious issues that have come up lately, and the blog has been more serious than I like it to be most of the time. So tonight I thought I'd tell you about something that is one of my favorite things in life. Dating my kids!

I realize that may sound weird. You date your kids? YES! I have found it to be so important to spend special time with each of my kiddos, just the two of us. It is the time when I best get to really know my children.

Dates with Faith are always an adventure. We have done some of the girly things like getting our nails done at the salon, but as Faith has gotten bigger, she nearly always chooses to have adventures. She likes amusement parks and hiking and rollerblading. I love this about her. Life is her oyster and she LIVES! A little over a year ago, she and I got into rock climbing. We took classes to learn how to do it safely and as soon as we hit that wall, we were both hooked! So, lately when we have our "dates" we climb. Last Monday, our special night, we were driving to the gym getting ready to climb and Faith was talking up a storm. She told me about school and friends and a cute boy and orchestra practice. It is fantastic to get to hear what she thinks about things when it is just the two of us. She opens up in a way that is harder to do on the "normal" days. Needless to say, I love that time with her and look forward to it!

 

 

Dates with Joshy are very different. Joshua is my little gentleman. He prefers to do actual "date" activities such as dinner, movies and frozen yogurt! We have our dates on Saturdays. When it is just him and me, he is far quieter than his sister, but he tells me about the things that really matter to him. Though he says much less than most kids, his words are powerful because he has to really work to use them. He is also so thoughtful. He holds the door open, helps pull out my chair, and always holds my hand. I am so in love with that little man! Just this morning, Joshy came to me and actually asked me out. It was the sweetest thing. He said, "Mama, what day is it?" I told him it was Monday. He started counting on his fingers. Perplexed, I asked him what he was counting. He said, "I needin to knowed how many days till our date." I told him that Saturday was still quite a few days away. His face sank a little, then he said "I take you to a special dinner? It be so special!" It chokes me up when he says such sweet things. Of course I agreed! He always brings money from his piggy bank to treat me. He will dig around in that bank and put a quarter in his pocket so proudly! Whoever gets to marry him will be one very lucky woman. 



I share these things because I feel that spending time with our kids one on one is extremely important. Not only does it create a strong bond, it also teaches you things about your child that you may not know otherwise. I would encourage every parent to try and make time with each child, even if it's just once a month for half an hour. Although it is hard to squeeze this time into our super busy schedules, it is an investment that pays enormous dividends for both us parents and our sweet kiddos!