where there is love there is always time

I have to admit, there are days when I think back on my childhood and wonder “when did it all get so complicated?”. I mean, have you been inside a ‘Toys r Us’ lately? Wow, what a lot of STUFF! Of course progress and research based learning toys all seem to be a great idea… but lets face it, when you are a year old you can have just as much fun rolling around in your parents unmade bed and practicing your consonants over and over again! The sheer enthusiasm over discovering a squirrel in the tree outside your house or the anticipation of a “boo” from behind the “peek a” hands. Growing up in a time of “go out and play” and “be home before dark”, granted, is a long lost time relegated to rural living and gated communities. Where I am going with this is: what if we were all being suckered by all the “hot of the press” products, promising child geniuses and an easier parenting experience?! Rather than spending an hour musing down the isles of gimmick after gimmick of baby can read, scientifically proven musical mobiles, we just sat with our child and interacted with them in the language of their age?… yes that means, gurgling and gargling with your 3month old. shopping is exhausting and in the never ending options for kids today, it can also be overwhelming. Save your energy for that 2am feed!

If ever a mom leaned on (age appropriate) TV and noisy toys to give her a chance to breath, that would be me! All I’m thinking as the moments fly past is, interaction and eye contact is the most fun both of you will have all day! I guarantee you that as your child becomes more mobile, they will have way more fun with the box the toy comes in than the toy itself! Imagination is alive and well in an empty cardboard box.

If ever there was a time to slow down and savor the moment, it would be now.