Spending Time is Earning Time

I've spent more time with my daughter because of the Adventure Guides program. I think the hardest thing for me was to carry over that importance into "real" life. It's easy to spend time together on a planned camping trip with other sympathetic adults and screaming children, but the breakthough in parenting came for me in initiating that same spirit of togetherness at home.

I'll be honest: once you've camped in dirt, flown kites, made crafts and been up all night with rocks in your back, you are so done with the togetherness. Seriously. When you get home, you want to them to get out and play... with their friends. You want some type of santuary from managing some emotional six year old charge of power or a nine year's sense of dignity. But dang it, I've got to be mature and a big kid: I've got to own up to my responsibility to continue that feeling of closeness, even at home. Shoot.

So I've come up with a solution. And it's not been too bad, actually. There are more factors involved in this story of homework, bedtime routines and dinner hour than I care to go into, but if you're a parent, it's related to homework and "Get 'er done". My solution (for togetherness AND "Get 'er done") is we play a board game or similar after homework is finished.

What a family saver!

At first, I gritted my teeth because I had SO many things to do... dinner, laundry... where is the white pair of shoes... and who took my scissors? BUT... hey, it's been only about 15 minutes on average, my Sparkly Dolphin squeals when she wins and it's a funny sound... and STRANGELY she's been better behaved with me. Well, it's not like black to white or devil to angel... but there's been some definitely upswings in that department. I strongly believe it's a correlation of spending extra, personal mommy-and-me-one-on-one time. That's a rarity. Sure. I'm involved in an organization that promotes parent togetherness. But I'm referring to JUST me and her. Alone. Staring across a Connect Four board. Seething over matching cards. Cackling over Barbie dolls and their clothes (even she gets tired of board games). It's been great. And best of all? Homework is done faster.

This is all rooted in the Adventure Guides' spirit of the program. It deserves plenty of praise!

I recommend this to all parents. What time you spend now with your child, you earn peace of mind later.