Marshmallows & butterflies

photo by chicagoveganfoods.com

Having one on one moments with my four is a rare and treasured treat. As anyone with multiple children will find. Often it's in the car doing drop offs and pick ups that we have these 1:1's. A captive space and time, no distractions, just talk time, or silence as the case may need.

Recently had 3 episodes of 1:1's that were very special. Maybe what made them so special was that they were on a weekend they were meant to be at their Dad's & missing them terribly, yet we managed to have time together, making it super special.

Last Friday night was Mummy & Sunshine time - she had a sleep over to get ready early for dance photos {Daddy doesn't cope with bun nets & makeup!}. A precious time of non stop chatter, like cramming everything in before the sun went down. Even Sunshine commented how good it was not to have to compete with siblings for 'talk time'! Priceless.

"So much to tell you, Mummy - I can't talk fast enough". Her youthful energy, exuberance & love of life spontaneous and contagious. We ate dinner together, iced her cousin's 1st birthday cupcakes & chatted the night away. Precious.

Saturday last week brought literal sunshine and with it the opportunity to mow the overgrown grass {helped along by all the rain & heat} along with everyone else in our street & probably south-east Qld! This is traditionally EQ's job. He mows the grass & I pay his mobile phone bill, at a capped rate of course!

So Saturday afternoon my mowing man son came to do the deed - again 1:1 time, though spent gardening rather than talking together was a very good time. In preparing for mowing I had to 'train' our  grape vine to climb the trestle rather than run along the grass - a lesson from nature in parenting, of how we too guide/train our children/teens to go a certain direction.......

Party time Saturday night and 1:1 time with Thoughtful Princess, only car time going to & fro my nephew's first birthday dinner, but a beautiful time of candid chatter. Thoughtful Princess was telling me about her school week, about situations that could have turned ugly and how she didn't get offended easily, or take things too personally. Needless to say I was delighted to hear this!

We all know what 14yr old girls can be like!

She coined the phrase, "I'm glad that I am not all marshmallows & butterflies".

I like the phrase and thought while we want to instill in our children to be tender, kind & compassionate, we also want them to be resilient & not melt like marshmallows under pressure or accusation nor fly away from difficulties like butterflies.

Being able to let offences slip you by and be assertive at the right time and in the right measure are very good traits and attributes. Grateful.

Cherishing chatter time

Cherishing 1:1 time with my children

Cherishing that my daughters are assertive