Mommy Time

A big concern of parents of several children is how to give them each the individual time and attention they need. Last night, Hannah was in need of some "Mommy Time" and requested a special time with me. This is a little tradition that has evolved over the last couple of years and really works well for us, especially as the kids get older and life gets busier.

Mommy Time used to be a date night, with dinner and maybe a little shopping. But as our schedules got busier and finances got tighter, it was more and more difficult to work these evenings into our hectic weeks. Now, when someone needs Mommy Time, it happens right at home. The special girl gets ready for bed, but gets in Mom and Dad's bed, and usually reads while waiting for me to put David to bed. Then I get in my jammies too, and get in bed with my special girl. We might talk, or read, or watch part of a movie. Sometimes I knit. Last night, Hannah requested that we watch an American Experience US History DVD. There is always great snuggling involved! Once in a while, we end up having a really good talk about something. But more often than not, we just have quiet together time without interruption. I try to make these nights on a non-school night, so we can stay up a bit later, but sometimes we've just needed to do it on a school night, and that's OK. When Al comes up to bed, the special girl is usually asleep, and he scoops her up and carries her to her bed.

The added bonus is that it gets me to bed pretty early, too!