Tuesday, March 27, 2012

mommy, will you play with me?

i've been wondering how other moms of young kids deal with the pull you feel (or maybe you don't feel this pull and it's a no-brainer for you) between accomplishing things around the house and playing with your kids. i daily battle this in my mind. when i look around, don't have to look very far, and see all the things that need done- dishes, laundry, cooking, etc., and at the same time have my kate and jacob asking me to play with them.

the one that really tugs at me is "mom, will you read this book to me?" i feel like maybe it should be just a little bit illegal to refuse to read to your child when they are so willing to put their "literary" hat on. one of these days i know i will be telling them to have their own reading time, but for now, i am their reader. i digress.

so tell me, if any moms are reading this, any practical ways you have found to balance the laundry and the "play with me" time? i know i don't need to entertain them all the time, and that independent play is good for their development, but i also don't want them to see me engrossed in chores all the time. i've tried to incorporate them in to help with some of the chores, so we are working on that...

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've always struggled with this too and it's hard to find a balance. I will say that now that I'm homeschooling two of them, they have plenty of time with me and are more than happy to run off and play:)

Lee and Candace said...

I will be checking this post often for comments people leave. A struggle for me too.

Rachael Neal said...

I'm a bad one to ask. I hate playing with my kids...am I allowed to admit that? I don't mind reading, but I'm often "too busy" to do it. Ugh. So I'm with Candace...let me know what you figure out!

Karen Pié said...

You can say something like, "If you wait just ___ minutes until I finish ________, we'll play/read together for a half our (or whatever)." Or, "Sure, let's go play for a half hour but when it's over Mommy has to work." That time with the kids is irretrievable and the most important time you'll spend. There is "catch-up" time for work that can be fitted in later. The kids grow up but the work is always there. : ) Love and prayer to all you young mothers.