All too often I’ve heard myself saying: “not now, I’m too busy” or “I have other things I need to do.”
All our children ever want from us is our time and our full attention.
Over the past few months in the process of downsizing our life, our belongings, and even our priorities… I’ve had the overwhelming sense of “less is more.”
Walking along the rock wall, Evans Head, NSW.
Less items to pack and move means more time to enjoy life.
Less items to play with and clean up means more time for adventure.
Less art supplies means I actually do more art.
As I walked into Kmart to buy my nephews their Christmas presents I looked at the sporadic toys across the shelves (granted it was the 22nd of Dec and not much was left) and I thought to myself they don’t need any of this!
They just need time!
It doesn’t matter if a child only gets one toy for Christmas or twenty, all they really desire is for you to sit down and play with them. One is enough if it comes with your time!
Hold on, it’s swing time!
We think that by giving them more, we are giving them more. But honestly, I believe that by giving them more you are actually giving them less.
Less time of yours and less time of their own. They spend more time cleaning up the mess, more time trying to work out WHAT to play with, and you spend more energy getting them to clean or organising it yourself.
By giving them fewer physical items you are giving them more imagination skills and more freedom to explore.
“Less is more.”
The amount we have removed from our lives has cleansed me both internally and externally.
My desire for “things” and “stuff” is based off its enjoyment of using, keeping, storing, and moving every few days.
When you are forced to downsize your life from a house to a ute and a camper trailer you can appreciate how little you need in life.
And children have the answer; all you really need is time. The greatest gift you can ever give someone is your time. When a loved one passes all you can wish for is more time with them.
This school holidays I invite you to sit and play.
Listen to their wild stories.
Join their imagination.
Tell stories of your own – fact or fiction it doesn’t matter.
Show and share memories and photos.
Take the time to go at their slow speed.
Run and feel the wind in your hair.
Build that lego.
Hug them longer.
Teach them a game.
Stay another 10 minutes.
Get out in nature.
Appreciate the view.
Talk about your thoughts and feelings.
Grow your patience as they learn new skills.
Learn something new together.
Be vulnerable.
Be open.
Take the time to understand them.
Biggest squeeze from daddy.
The greatest gift you can ever give someone is your time!
Nothing will ever replace those moments. Those memories. That bond that you forge, for you or for them.
Less is more, except when it’s your time you are giving!