{Guest Post by Lauren}
When I think back to my childhood one of the clearest memories I have is setting up a pretend play grocery store in our kitchen. It’s so vivid in my mind.
I can see all the items we pulled out from our mother’s pantry lined up. I see the real printable calculator on the kitchen table. I asked for it for Christmas.
I’d pull open one of the cabinet doors and create a behind the counter seat, for employees only (kids).
Just picturing it brings a smile to my face.
Pretend play was a highlight of my childhood. It was thrilling to me as a child. I looked forward to it. I craved it! It was pure childhood joy.
As a parent I want to be intentional about the memories I am creating for our children. What will bring joy to their lives? To become more aware of our priorities as a family I’ve used the following steps.
Filtering Distraction During Quality Time with Kids
First, think about your favorite memory of joyful playtime when you were a child.
What stands out to you? What do you want to pass on to your children? How do your ideals and memories of the past translate to your children’s lives today?
It’s these memories that shape the way we parent our children.
After you decide what activities, types of play or memories you want to incorporate into your family you have to figure out how to intentionally do this.
In today’s world we are bombarded from every angle with consumerism, technology, and social media. All striving for our attention.
Our kids are facing the same challenges. Things that didn’t exist when I grew up.
My daughter loves pretend play too. I can see it on her face. She lights up when we create our own doctor’s office or art studio. I have to ask myself, what do I want her to remember about her childhood?
We have to be intentional about this. As parents we have the privilege of doing this for our young children. They may not be able to filter out every distraction or be able to verbalize that they are feeling overwhelmed by all the options. We must do this for them.
Finally, after you analyze how to be intentional about building your family’s memories you have to look toward the long term.
It’s easy to get excited about creating family memories or incorporating play activities into your life when you feel inspired. But what happens when your family faces challenges or your creativity is at an all time low?
It’s easy to miss, but I believe it is important to give this thought. I may not always like the answer when I assess our family’s current lifestyle, but I want to be intentional about checking in every few weeks.
What are we giving priority to? How do we spend most of our day? These questions will help me reflect and refocus.
What are we going to filter out and give our attention to?
Lauren has a background in school psychology and recently became a stay at home mom. She loves empowering women to parent joyful, healthy, Godly children. Come find support in motherhood, faith, healthy living, relationships and more as Lauren journeys through life as a daughter, wife and mother at her blog, Heart of Deborah. Follow her on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter.
