Time

For about 4 years now, I have been a frequent visitor and guest of Blogworld. Initially, I was drawn in by stories of people who were going through (or had conquered) the same struggles that I was facing at the time. Namely, infertility. I soon began writing my own blog to share my story, and well, the rest I suppose you could say is history.

Now, I read many different types of blogs written for various purposes. I still follow a few of those initial "infertility" blogs because, to be honest, I've grown attached to the people, their families, and their story. I follow blogs of family simply because I'm interested in their lives. I follow blogs whose purpose is to provide a bit of spiritual guidance. I also follow a couple blogs that primarily focus on parenting.

A few weeks ago, I read a post titled Too Busy Texting to Parent. We've all heard about it (and seen it), right? Parents who are so wrapped up in their phone that they have no idea what their child(ren) is doing. I personally don't spend a lot of time texting, so I began reading this article not expecting my own toes to be stepped upon.

But they were.

You see, just because we may not be guilty of hours and hours spent texting doesn't mean we aren't allowing other things to get in the way of being an attentive, strong, devoted parent. When I first started staying home with Brianna, I was very careful to not spend much (if any) time on the computer while she was awake. I didn't want her to have a Mommy so plugged into the computer all the time that I couldn't focus on the important things . . . like parenting. Now, don't get me wrong, I think a little computer time while your child is awake is okay, but I knew for me that it could get out of hand really quickly and I wanted to prevent that from the get-go.

However, the longer I've been home with her, the more lax I've gotten on my own rule. I've had to really step back and realize that just because we are in the same house together all day long, that does not mean we are spending quality time together. Many people think that since I am a stay-at-home Mom, I spend tons of time with my child. While that may be true, I've had to really evaluate what kind of time I am spending, how I am using that time, and whether I'm taking that time for granted. It's been too easy for me to take advantage of the time I have with my child because I am blessed with so much of it. I've often wondered what kind of Mom I would be if I was still working outside the home. Would I be more careful to cherish every moment because they are fewer?

Take the time to go read that post. It's a short, well-written read that will be worth your few minutes.

And if it makes you stop and think about the type of parent you are, all the better.