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| Know When to Take a Hike by Melissa Bogdany
When you have a day like this, when your to-do list overwhelms you, do you and your child a favor: Take a hike … literally, if weather permits. Take a 15- or 20-minute break and just go for a walk together outdoors. Look for birds. Look for squirrels. See what types of leaves you find. Look at the clouds—what shapes do you and your child see? Ask your little one, "Does the sky look like rain?" Take this opportunity to teach colors, shapes, numbers, types of animals and trees, weather and whatever else comes to mind while enjoying God’s creation. After all, taking 15 or 20 minutes is not going to make that big a difference in your workday. It may even help clear your head so you can come back and focus. And the quality time with your little girl will make a world of difference to her—and create lasting memories for you both. Melissa Bogdany is a freelance editor and writer. She lives in Chuluota, Florida, with her husband, Tim, and daughters, Emily, 8, and Aubry, 2. What ideas do you have for taking breaks and spending time with your kids? | Top | Share Your Thoughts... Be the first to comment on this article! |
Parenting Helps:
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The dishes are stacking up. Soggy cereal from the kids’ breakfast is caked inside your sink (by the way, cereal is much easier to clean when it’s freshly dumped). The pile of laundry seems insurmountable. But what about that work deadline? You come to the conclusion that there’s no time for cooking this day, so you head out to get take-out. You get home, your daughter puts her cheeseburger on the corner of the coffee table, and in the blink of an eye, the dog snatches it up. Somehow you remember that Joey needs 15 cupcakes for preschool tomorrow. It’s off to the grocery store to get cupcake mix … well, at least you can grab another cheeseburger while you’re out.
