Over my holiday vacation, the wee one was sick so we ended up watching an Elmo's World Holiday DVD (too many times to count, to be honest) that featured lots of little ones talking about their holiday and what they liked the best about it. Almost every kid mentioned that their favorite part of the holidays was spending the time with their families.
Snuggled up with my son on the couch, it occurred to me that although my husband and I are lucky to have every weekend and week day evening with the wee one, many parents are not that fortunate. And even that time, is sometimes simply not enough.
It really made me think about how we spend our free time. What "stuff" can we put aside to do after the baby is in bed or when he's taking a nap? What extra things are eating up the time that we could be spending together? I sometimes find myself taking "just five minutes" here and there to check my email, my FaceBook account, the latest sales at Gap Maternity online -- that's time that I could be playing on the floor with my son, creating memories and showing him that I value our time together.
Those vacation days that you have for 2009? Put them to good use! Take daytrips with your family -- plan a fun vacation, maybe a couple of long weekends away. Go visit extended family with your kids. There are so many fun and inexpensive ways to spend time together while showing your kids that they are important to you and that family togetherness is not just for the holiday season.
So, while you're already struggling with those New Year's resolutions, I ask you to sit down and think about what is REALLY important to you and your family -- and then take out your calendar and see what you can do about fitting in more time with your kids. They'll thank you for it!
How do you fit in special time with your kids? Do you have any fun family traditions that you think others can adapt to their own schedules? Fill us in! Email me at WOTW@WyndhamWorldwide.com.
