You're Spending The Wrong Way
Love is spelled T-I-M-E
This weekend, America prepares for travel, lunch and dinner reservations to celebrate Mom’s. Among us there are some that have lost a Mother. Also, some find themselves widowed, without the mother of their children or perhaps, without the father. Parenting is challenging and very difficult. Especially when you have multiple children in different age groups. Furthermore, when you have children young and then have children when you’re a bit older, wiser and mature. The comparison of who you are as a parent today compared to then, as a young parent, is unrecognizable.
In Kevin Kelly’s new book, Excellent Advice for Living, you can find the following:
“You should spend half as much money on your children and twice the amount of time.”
Kid’s don’t care about sneakers and clothes and toys. They want time. You cannot negotiate this or have it any other way. They want you to throw yourself on the grass with them, not buy an expensive swing set. They want you to sit on the floor with them and build towers with blocks. Which means, put your phone down and look your kid in the eyes. Feel their joy, playful spirit and pure love. Experience it while you have it.
Your children don’t care about fashion, luxury goods or name brand. You care about that. Don’t push and force your children to conform to meaningless, material objects. By giving them your time, undivided and without distraction, you give them all they want and need.
Zig Ziglar said,
“To a child love is spelled T-I-M-E.”
It’s true that when we are on our death bed all we will want is more time. Well, you have it now. Snap out of it. Put down Twitter and Tiktok. Be present with your children. Give them T-I-M-E. Otherwise, you are going to wish you had it back. Your child is their age just this time. They change everyday. Each day you uncover new things they no longer do. They stop peeing in the bed. They stop putting their finger in the strawberry to eat it, now they use a fork.
Tempus Fugit - Latin for time flies. Use it, now.
Comedian Jerry Seinfield says, “all time is quality time.” He continues;
“I’m a believer in the ordinary and the mundane. These guys that talk about ‘quality time’ – I always find that a little sad when they say, ‘We have quality time.’ I don’t want quality time. I want the garbage time. That’s what I like. You just see them in their room reading a comic book and you get to kind of watch that for a minute, or [having] a bowl of Cheerios at 11 o’clock at night when they’re not even supposed to be up. The garbage, that’s what I love.”
Thought Provoking Question 1 : What is stopping your from giving your children T-I-M-E?
Hint: your answer is just an excuse.
Dan Roman is a Husband, Father, and writer that releases a daily blog. A quick read on sharing wisdom and asking though-provoking questions.
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