At some point along my journey with motherhood, I became a mom to not just one, but to two little girls. I never knew how big my heart would grow to love these tiny humans. Although my love continues to grow, I did not gain any extra time.
Time has flown by.
My oldest has now been a sister for 18 months. We have all hit a point where it is hard to remember life before her baby sister was a part of our family. She loves our time and outings as a family of four, but she has been known to demand explanations if one of us is not present.
It has become so important to spend one-on-one time with each of our daughters.
As I’m sure it will continue to be more important as they get older. Every month, my husband and I have tried to swap spending one-on-one time with each of our daughters. One-on-one time can range from going to dinner together, running errands, a trip to the library, or even the park. It doesn’t really matter where we go or what we do, as long as we are spending time together. Making sure my daughter knows that she is loved and feels special. Thankfully as of right now, listening, talking, laughing, and the occasional cake pop to enjoy on the way home will usually do the trick.
These times together are very important to me. With my youngest, I get to enjoy seeing her personality shine on her own. Obviously being the youngest, she will never experience what it is like being an only child, but this gives her a glimpse into what her sister got to experience.
With my oldest, I sometimes miss the times when it used to just be her and I. She has become such an amazing big sister over the last 18 months. My oldest has also begun learning the fine art of pushing my buttons, testing my patience. Of course, I have no idea where my mini-me learned that.
Our one-on-one time can be a reset for me. It somehow recharges my patience and love for my fiery, stubborn daughter.
I want our daughters to know that we love them, and that we want to spend individual time with them. I’m thankful that my husband and I have been able to do this with them, even if it is only watching a movie in a separate room of the house with one of our daughters. I hope that we can continue these little dates our daughters will remember fondly.
Of course we still treasure our family time together, we try to always eat dinner together, we have a bedtime routine that everyone is a part of. At this point in our family, I think both our family time and one-on-one times are equally important.
What do you like to do for one-on-one time with your kids?
Make sure you never miss out on a parenting or community-related blog post: sign up to receive CRMB posts in your inbox. While you’re at it, join our VIP List to ensure you’re one of the first to know about upcoming Cedar Rapids Moms Blog events and promotions!!