Kids are messy and loud, but it’s a joyful noise, says my collector Micki. As a mom to six and three-year-old Francis and Henry, Micki has learned many lessons. But perhaps the most important, she says, is to stop and enjoy her kids.
She’s learning to let go of the desire to make everything perfect, and instead focus on what’s important – making her kids feel unconditionally loved and adored. Micki’s learning to listen to them and learn from them, and is often amazed at how powerful their simple thoughts and words can be.
If you don’t stop and enjoy them in the present, she says, it’s all going to get away from you. You will wake up one day and they’ll be older, chattier, and wiser – all the in the blink of an eye.
My other collector Deede puts it a different way. She says your kids won’t remember if the shelves were dusted. They will remember how they felt; whether their childhood was peaceful and happy, or it wasn’t. So forget about the things that don’t matter and focus on making each moment with your kids count.
When you do that, says Micki, you’ll be able to truly appreciate your children as precious gifts from God.