The Simple Things

by Paula Dykstra

December 03, 2009

My daughter is in preschool and one week I got a great article from her preschool teacher that I would like to share with you....it made me think twice!

Unforgettable Everyday Moments

by Allison Akey

"Do you ever wonder what memories your children will treasure when they become adults? Down the road, you may be surprised by what they recall.

Picture this scene: It is your daughter's 10th birthday. You want to make her party extra special. After all, she has told you every day for the past month that she is finally in the double digits and "no longer a child". You have plotted a surprise birthday party for weeks. You've invited her friend, bought snacks, hung pink and purple streamers, blown up balloons, spent hours meticulously decorating the cake and hired Sparkles the Clown. The guests arrive, and the party is a huge success.

Years later, as the two of you swap your favorite memories, your daughter mentions her 10th birthday. You assume she will rave about the beautiful cake and Sparkles' funny balloon animals, but instead she recalls how much fun it was to ride in the van with you to pick up doughnuts for breakfast. Not only were doughnuts a special treat, but the one-on-one time she had with you was also priceless. You sit dumb-founded and wonder what other simple memories she holds dear that you do not even remember.

Everyday interactions may be more meaningful than many parents realize. Most children find just as much, or even more, joy in the little things as they do in life's big events. Eating a special breakfast of chocolate-chip pancakes, picking out the perfect backpack for the first day of school and singing silly songs in the car could be the highlights of your children's younger years.

Busyness can make it difficult for parents to savor life's ordinary moments. But it is precisely those moments that your children will treasure forever.

I am speaking from personal experience: That little girl enjoying a trip to the store was me. And to this day, that simple event remains one of my favorite memories of time spent with my father"

It is easy to get busy and caught up our "to-do" lists and forget to slow down, believe me, I am guilty of it, too. However, that time you take to give to your child is truly priceless. As we are in the swing of the holiday season, stop, take a look around and find those special times and memories to make with your child and family. You just never know what he or she will find pure joy and delight in and still remember 20 or 30 years from now. I am thinking about taking a few hours to bake Christmas cookies with my 4 year old, she loves being mommy's helper and we can do the baking together! A great question whether now or two years from today.... what simple yet life long memory can you make with your child ?