The Battles: Work VS Play, Chores VS Children
I am sure most parents would agree with me the one of the biggest battle of the minds in parenting is when to work and when to play...when to tackle chores and when to invest time in your children. Yesterday was Monday. The day after Easter. I had mounds of laundry calling my name. I had Easter 'loot' littering the house that needed put away. I had a growing "To Do" list to tackle in my already busy week.
And then he saw them. My 2 year old spots his beloved container of bubbles. P looks at me with his big, brown eyes and begs for me to blow them for him. I am suddenly faced with a decision. Do I force him to surrender his desires and agree to play with him...later? Or do I surrender my desires, my to-do list, my workaholic mind-set and play with him...now?
I took a deep breath, surrendering all the chores that were calling for my attention. I swallowed down the temptation to say, "Later." I keeled in front of my son's face, full of anticipation. I pecked a kiss on his forehead and began blowing him bubbles.
The joy that bubbles bring to a young child is beautiful. Watching him jump around, chase them, and pop them while happy screams filled the air...it was priceless. The giggle that erupted from his lips when the bubbles ticked his neck, before popping into non-existence...it was priceless. And I almost missed it. I would have missed out on a highlight of my day if I would've chosen to be selfish, or practical, or whatever you want to call the battle of work vs play.
It took 10 minutes. 10 simple minutes. And then my son was off on other adventures. In reality, could I have crossed anything off my list in 10 short minutes? Probably not. Did it really put me far behind in getting my endless tasks done when I chose to invest time in my child rather than chores? Not really.
Do I always choose the right thing? Of course not. And there are times when chores and work have to come before our children & play. But, I am regularly told by the older generations, that childhood is fleeting and it goes by so fast! Almost every month, complete strangers remind me of this fact. They encourage me to turn of the TV, stop "working", and sit on the floor and play with my kids! How foolish I'd be if I don't take the advice of someone who has traveled this road before!
Not only do I struggle knowing when to play with my kids, I also struggle knowing how to let them play. When I truly let their imaginations run wild, the end result is usually a mess! Complete rooms changed into a camping or beach scene...staircases changed into an airplane...little bodies caked in mud, mud, and more mud. Often, I hear the words, "Mommy, can we <fill in the blank>?" I groan inwardly knowing of the impending mess, dirt, and extra work and effort it will take to make this dream come true and to later clean it up. It means more laundry, it means more baths, it means more energy coming from a mother who has no more to give.
But, I swallow those temptations to say no. I take a deep breath, praying for patience, energy, and joy. And I let their imaginations run free. I sit back and watch the wonder of children at play.
Matthew 19:13-15 "One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: “Let the children alone, don’t prevent them from coming to me. God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.” After laying hands on them, he left."
Am I like the disciples, shooing away my children and their ideas? Or am I like Jesus? Welcoming them onto my lap, exploring life with them, praying for them, loving on them, and giving them my focused, undivided attention?
The battle will continue to rage. Sometimes work will win, sometimes play, sometimes chores...but hopefully we will gradually learn to be like Jesus. Forgetting the agenda and focusing on relationships. May God show us how to have a child-like perspective of life. After all, children see these as flowers...not weeds...
And then he saw them. My 2 year old spots his beloved container of bubbles. P looks at me with his big, brown eyes and begs for me to blow them for him. I am suddenly faced with a decision. Do I force him to surrender his desires and agree to play with him...later? Or do I surrender my desires, my to-do list, my workaholic mind-set and play with him...now?
I took a deep breath, surrendering all the chores that were calling for my attention. I swallowed down the temptation to say, "Later." I keeled in front of my son's face, full of anticipation. I pecked a kiss on his forehead and began blowing him bubbles.
The joy that bubbles bring to a young child is beautiful. Watching him jump around, chase them, and pop them while happy screams filled the air...it was priceless. The giggle that erupted from his lips when the bubbles ticked his neck, before popping into non-existence...it was priceless. And I almost missed it. I would have missed out on a highlight of my day if I would've chosen to be selfish, or practical, or whatever you want to call the battle of work vs play.
It took 10 minutes. 10 simple minutes. And then my son was off on other adventures. In reality, could I have crossed anything off my list in 10 short minutes? Probably not. Did it really put me far behind in getting my endless tasks done when I chose to invest time in my child rather than chores? Not really.
Do I always choose the right thing? Of course not. And there are times when chores and work have to come before our children & play. But, I am regularly told by the older generations, that childhood is fleeting and it goes by so fast! Almost every month, complete strangers remind me of this fact. They encourage me to turn of the TV, stop "working", and sit on the floor and play with my kids! How foolish I'd be if I don't take the advice of someone who has traveled this road before!
Not only do I struggle knowing when to play with my kids, I also struggle knowing how to let them play. When I truly let their imaginations run wild, the end result is usually a mess! Complete rooms changed into a camping or beach scene...staircases changed into an airplane...little bodies caked in mud, mud, and more mud. Often, I hear the words, "Mommy, can we <fill in the blank>?" I groan inwardly knowing of the impending mess, dirt, and extra work and effort it will take to make this dream come true and to later clean it up. It means more laundry, it means more baths, it means more energy coming from a mother who has no more to give.
But, I swallow those temptations to say no. I take a deep breath, praying for patience, energy, and joy. And I let their imaginations run free. I sit back and watch the wonder of children at play.
Matthew 19:13-15 "One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: “Let the children alone, don’t prevent them from coming to me. God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.” After laying hands on them, he left."
Am I like the disciples, shooing away my children and their ideas? Or am I like Jesus? Welcoming them onto my lap, exploring life with them, praying for them, loving on them, and giving them my focused, undivided attention?
The battle will continue to rage. Sometimes work will win, sometimes play, sometimes chores...but hopefully we will gradually learn to be like Jesus. Forgetting the agenda and focusing on relationships. May God show us how to have a child-like perspective of life. After all, children see these as flowers...not weeds...
I'm right there with you, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete