Letting go of chores to spend quality time with child.

[Anonymous]

Screw the “advice” and judgement, OP. You made the right choice! I love doing things on my kids’ timelines and what they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Screw the “advice” and judgement, OP. You made the right choice! I love doing things on my kids’ timelines and what they want.

It’s what makes DCUM DCUM - if you are the OP you are doing it wrong. You gave your 8 yr old a gift today. Brava!

[Anonymous]

By that age (actually by about 4) my kids are cleaning with me if I'm cleaning. Everything gets done AND we spend time together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:By that age (actually by about 4) my kids are cleaning with me if I'm cleaning. Everything gets done AND we spend time together.

You’re missing out on sometimes doing what the child wants to do. Sounds like OP and her son had a great morning.

[Anonymous]

Great choice. We make this choice often and just deal with the housr later. And i never wash my car

[Anonymous]

I still remember my mom stopping everything to play dolls with me. Some of the loveliest memories of my life. Those times when your mom is listening only to you and hearing you.

I make a point of doing this with each of my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By that age (actually by about 4) my kids are cleaning with me if I'm cleaning. Everything gets done AND we spend time together.

You’re missing out on sometimes doing what the child wants to do. Sounds like OP and her son had a great morning.

"Sometimes" we DO wind up doing what the kids want. Just like sometimes we do what I need to get done. So not missing out on anything. And sure, OP had fun but now OP is stressed about catching up on all the things that need to get done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By that age (actually by about 4) my kids are cleaning with me if I'm cleaning. Everything gets done AND we spend time together.

You’re missing out on sometimes doing what the child wants to do. Sounds like OP and her son had a great morning.

"Sometimes" we DO wind up doing what the kids want. Just like sometimes we do what I need to get done. So not missing out on anything. And sure, OP had fun but now OP is stressed about catching up on all the things that need to get done.

But they did “get done”. She got the groceries and those hours with her son are far more valuable than a clean car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I still remember my mom stopping everything to play dolls with me. Some of the loveliest memories of my life. Those times when your mom is listening only to you and hearing you.

I make a point of doing this with each of my kids.

+1. Same! I have the best memories of my mother just being with me and joining what I was doing. It made me feel important!!!

[Anonymous]

Forcing your kid to do chores with you would have ruined the moment. You absolutely did the right thing.

[Anonymous]

Isn’t there a story about this in the Bible? One woman is rushing around doing chores, while the other just stops and listens to Jesus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m total type A and like to get up very early on Sunday mornings to get stuff done. Today, while everyone else was still sleeping, my 8 year old woke up and was unusually chatty. He wanted to talk about Legos, show me how to design a dune buggy, talk about migration patterns and a book her just finished. I spent two hours with him and loved it because it’s getting harder and harder to spend time with him.

But nothing got done. Now everyone is awake (two little ones) and Sunday activities are in full swing. What I’d planned to do in the early hours will not get done this week.

It’s weird but I feel both good and bad about it. I know being totally present for him is more important and more enjoyable but I still feel lazy for not getting stuff done.

You made a memory with your son. You're rich. Whatever else you had planned to do was nothing in comparison.

[Anonymous]

I find myself fighting the urge to unload (and reload) the dishwasher or run the vacuum "for just a moment" to suck up the dirt in the hallway b/c those things can wait and the only person who seemingly is bothered by, say, crumbs in the kitchen, is me.
It's flattering my kids seek me out to show me XYZ or talk my ear off about this &that, or take my hand to play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wash the car together

This. Kids need time with us, but it doesn't have to always be on their terms. It's good for them to learn how long these tasks take. You can create fun memories doing things like washing the car together.

Ugh! Forcing the kid to do chores with her would have totally ruined the moment. OP was right in letting it all go and just being present with her oldest kid.

A perfect Sunday morning in my book. No one needed to learn anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find myself fighting the urge to unload (and reload) the dishwasher or run the vacuum "for just a moment" to suck up the dirt in the hallway b/c those things can wait and the only person who seemingly is bothered by, say, crumbs in the kitchen, is me.
It's flattering my kids seek me out to show me XYZ or talk my ear off about this &that, or take my hand to play.

I wish I could get my DH to see this. He’s missing so much with our very little and cute kids because he’s a vacuuming fool and clean freak.