“Mom, look how high I’m swinging!” yells Peck, furiously pumping his legs. I sit on a brick wall, doing nothing while he plays. As a younger mom, I considered these times of doing nothing wasted. I ticked off in my mind all the things I could be doing: folding the laundry, paying the bills, prepping for dinner. I felt I wasn’t accomplishing anything.
Finally, God showed me these times are part of my job description. A mom does a gazillion things, but the core functions are to love, to nourish, to protect, to teach. I am NOT doing nothing while he plays. I nourish him with fresh air, vitamin D, and exercise. I protect him from geese (those suckers can be aggressive) and tricky people. I teach him by allowing him to explore and exercise his mind. Also, I teach him how to get along with others. I love him by putting a Band-Aid on his scraped knee.
So, you mommas, who’ve spent hours rocking colicky babies or playing Hi Ho Cherry-O, you’re not wasting time. You’re nourishing, protecting, teaching, and loving. And that’s time well spent.
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