As I write this, I am sitting on my coach watching Gilmore Girls and I honestly can’t imagine a better way to spend my time.
Now this is a completely foreign feeling to me. I LOVE watching this show, especially in the Fall, but rarely do I feel completely at peace spending my time this way.
I want to change the world. I have things to do. I have people to see. I got places to go.
You get my drift.
My to-do-list is almost never ending and as much as I know that being pregnant and having a toddler are excuses enough to just “relax,” I see them as excuses and I see myself as exempt. Or maybe I just expect myself to be able to get everything done regardless.
Where I got this notion, I’m not sure… but I’ll tell you one thing:
I’m tired.
So, today, I decided it’s okay to just watch my favorite show and spend more time cuddling my son. The world will continue turning and people will continue making to-do lists. My to-do list will be there tomorrow and even if it doesn’t get done, I know that I wont get this time back.
My son and I connect the most when we have no agenda. It has taken me a long time to realize this, as it is easy to get caught up in all the fun things that are offered for children his age. And as much as I know he likes the Library and going to toddler time at various places, at the end of the day, when I ask him what his favorite part was, it is often something simple that we did in the backyard together.
I think parents these days put a lot of pressure on themselves to make sure that their kids are able to succeed in the world. It can look like preparation for school, education programs, after school programs, sports, music lessons, gymnastics… you name it. We want our kids to make it; there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
But when my son has a tantrum every time we get in the car because he simply just wants to play outside, I have to ask myself am I doing this for him or for me?
Sometimes, when I take a step back and allow there to be room for unstructured play, I find we are both the happiest. He is being seen and heard. I am relaxed because he is happy and we aren’t in a power struggle. These are our best days.
Granted, I think there is time and space for all of the “change the world tasks” on my list and the educational opportunities that I want my son to be a part of, but I also think that we don’t make rest and play time as big of a priority as we should. And when I say that, I mean for both of us. The support and security that my son is learning through one-on-one play time with either of his parents will be just as valuable later in life than any extracurricular programs. Of this, I am sure.
And so I will sit. I will rest and enjoy this time without guilt. I will chase my little booger of a son around and play with him as he leads instead of trying to teach him something… he tends to be teaching me more about the world these days anyway.
And I write this to encourage you.
Whether you are a parent or not is beside the point, if you are not regularly making time for rest in your life, regardless of what shape or form it comes in, I’d ask you to reconsider. Rest allows a type of reset that helps us come back with a more clear vision of what is important, what our priorities are and what makes us most happy in this life.
I think the Lord was on to something when he made a whole day of rest as a part of the week.
Coast x Coast Motherhood 