No More Multitasking

Multitasking is something we often take pride in...but I've realized that it's just NOT working for me and so I'm going to do my best to give it up. If I walk around my house, it's obvious to me that my focus is not on one thing at a time. Often I will see tasks half-done.

But I also read something that was very convicting, and it had to do with multitasking and parenting...

Let me say this upfront - I am strongly opposed to multitasking. When it comes to raising kids and building the kid of family you want, your children need your full attention. They don't need it every moment of every day, but they need it frequently and consistently - and when they need it, they need it!They need it when they are upset. They need it when they are talking to you about something important.

To be sure, multitasking is a skill in which parents can take pride. Multitasking gets dinner on the table. But don't let the task at hand steal your attention so that you're uttering mindless "uh-huhs" as your child tells you what happened at the playground. Make eye contact and listen when you talk to your child or you'll pay the price when she won't look up from a video game to tell you how her days was. - John Walsh, "Enough Already"

That might seem like common sense, but I was convicted because I am guilty of NOT giving my children my full attention when they need it. So there you have it...a confession and a resolution to stop multitasking and start focusing. I'm hoping both my house and my family benefit.