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.

Teachable Moments

Teachable moments are hard.

Being an intentional mother is hard.

Today, the girls and I went shopping at Big Lots and then we went into Dollar Tree next door because the girls like looking at stuff there. We didn't find anything that we had to have so we headed home.

It was 12:30 and I was thinking that it was nice to be home in time for lunch and then get the girls down for their nap.

I started unbuckling Sydney and noticed something shiny in her hand.

It was a large jewel, craft thing that looked like it came off something. I'm thinking, "great...just what I need...a lesson in shoplifting."

After a couple questions, I found out that she had seen it on the floor at Dollar Tree and she picked it up because she thought it would be fun to play with.

You have to realize that what she "stole" was basically garbage...it had fallen off something. It would have been so easy to tell her it was wrong to take it and go inside the house.

But this was one of those "teachable moments".

And so....we buckled ourselves back into the van. Drove back to Dollar Tree. Got out of the car again (did I mention it's zero degrees here today?) And went inside to return the shiny thing.

I tried explaining that I wasn't mad at her, but this was a very good lesson to learn.

Still...she was terrified. She kept saying "Are they going to take me from you?"

But she did a good job in apologizing. And then the store employee got in her face and said "You can't do that. You can't take things." I would have been terrified too!

So then we got back in the car and drove home...only to realize that now her hat was missing.

Ug. Now I probably have to buy a new hat.