One thing: One on one time

Goodness, it’s been a while between “one things” hasn’t it? Mostly because the one thing turned into a big holiday and then dealing with jetlag and then treading water madly as life has been whizzing by with school and work and life and Maggie. There’s been a million things covered off every week, without me stopping to tackle that “one thing” list.

For those of you not playing along, #onething is where I do just ONE THING from my to-do list, but not your every day to-do list. Oh no, this is the list of non essential items that sort of kind of need to get done but it’s no biggie if they don’t get done until next week, or next month, or um, next year. Those things. Just one. Every week.

There’s been something I have been meaning to do for ages. Something that I know is so important, especially since Maggie came along, and something that I just have to make more time for. It’s one on one time with the girls.

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I spend a WHOLE lot of time with Maggie and Rob is excellent at doing things with the girls alone (whether it’s keyboard lessons with Harper or spending time chatting with Daise) but for me, I must say that it just gets pushed aside. But yesterday morning I asked Harps out on a coffee date with me to an old favourite haunt of ours that we used to go to before she started school. We discussed the good old days, did some shopping together, had a coffee and a cake and just a lovely old catch up.

Then she headed off to a sleepover (where has my baby gone?!) and we got to spend some time alone with Daisy. Both Rob and I sat and watched a movie with her, then this morning we both spent a few hours doing a big puzzle together. Quietly chatting as we went about our work.

It was that good. No baby in sight, no sisters taking away attention, just them and me, me and them. I really have GOT to do that more.

Do you make an effort to spend one on one time with your kids?
They really do bask in it don’t they?
What was your one thing this week?
Go choose something, right now, just have a look around and there will be something waiting…

Comments

  1. Frank hugs, what a gorgeous photo!!
    I do it so infrequently, my one thing could be the vacuuming!!

  2. Goodness it’s like you read my mind today. I’ve been thinking the same thing about one on one time with my three. So today I’ve spread myself out. Time doing homework alone with Rubes, making frozen fruit icy poles with just Rhaine and some painting with baby Daise. Feeling great about it. Although it’s not huge one on one time it’s made us all seem happier this afternoon. Thank you ?

  3. One-on-one time is super important and makes all the difference in the world.
    My one thing is to organise (and pull-off) a sleepover for the eldest that she’s been desperate for.

    • You can do it! I had to cancel a planned sleepover on Friday for Daisy (she was sick) and devastated that it had to be postponed….3 other girls…I will let you know how it goes when we re-do it!

  4. I find it a lot easier to spend one on one time with my daughter, because she’s my only daughhter. The boys on the other hand that’s a little more tricky.

  5. DEFINATELY – I do the one on one time with my middle daughter, mainly due to the fact that the youngest is tied to my hip. Movies, concerts, shopping days, theatre. All the things the youngest hates. I used to do it with my eldest son, we would go and watch movies that he’d read the books first, was great but now he’s 14 and hot trotting it to movies with friends, but we play hooky occasionally together (him high school, me work) and grab some lazy lunch together.

  6. I have started taking one boy alone to the markets with me on Sunday morning. Today I took my eldest and we ate boreks while watching the cranes in the city. It was great. My husband then gets the other alone at home. Perfect!

  7. My little guy has just started having decent naps on his own! Which means time just with my daughter. This makes for a happy toddler and a happy mummy 🙂 in one day we made a cubby house, a slice and icecream 🙂 happy days 🙂

  8. It gets easier as they get older…my 20 year old has sort of-kinda moved in with her boyfriend (two blocks away from home) but she still pops in every day. She and I have a morning out shopping where we just hang out, looking, trying on, testing, sometimes buying and have a nice morning tea and or lunch just the two of us.

    My youngest is still at school, so it’s usually the three of us (her, me and daddy) for dinner and breakfast, but I still enjoy doing stuff just with her…usually a walk around the bush near our place or dinner out just the two of us when hubby has band practice or a gig…

    It wasn’t always this way, there’s a certain age during which your kids are too busy with their mates or school or extra activities and there is simply no time, so I take what I can when I can,and they appreciate the effort too.

  9. Oh my Beth, you are so right. Our kids really need that 1 on 1 time. I need to make more time with my big boy aged 7…….doing something he wants to do, but not Minecraft, Lego or Skateboarding……hmmmmm ideas?

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