Okay, so there are days when we just won’t be able to sit down and read a book with the kids. There are days that just don’t seem to hold enough minutes. I remember. There are days when we’re just thankful that some sort of food item made its way into their mouths and then there was a quick dunk in the tub. It’s okay.

Most of the young moms I know today are juggling work and raising children at the same time. Whether or not you are working outside of the home (full time or part time) or staying home with your littles, you are WORKING full time as a mom or dad. That alone is a full time job, and such a precious one.

Yes, I am plugging the idea that “booking time with our kids” is important. It is important; it’s important now for developmental growth and it’s important later in life, to be able to gather knowledge and discern valid information and make informed decisions. But, as parents/grandparents in this modern world, we need to acknowledge the fact that NONE of us can DO IT ALL. And if we try to “do it all” every day, we are inviting frustration and fatigue.

Let’s give ourselves some grace. Let’s be flexible. We can focus on a healthy dinner tonight, and then we’ll throw in a quick, fun story after bath time. Tomorrow, we’ll eat leftovers and cuddle on the bean bag chair and read a bit more, some favorites. Then, the next night, we may go to the park to get fresh air, come home, and just take a quick bath before prayers and bed.

If we make reading this thing that we HAVE to do, it can become something that we won’t want to do. It’s reasonable to say that we should be flexible enough to make BOOKING TIME WITH OUR KIDS something that our kids (and us) look forward to. Reading can be fun. It can be a time to relax together, cuddle (if we’re lucky), generate some sweet conversation and laughter, and just be together.

I guess reading is something that we have to try to be both intentional with and flexible with at the same time. It’s okay if there wasn’t a story tonight…. it’s okay if you didn’t fit in everything that the perfect social media Moms are suggesting…..it’s okay if our routine is a bit off tonight. Booking time with our kids at the times that work for our family is the right time. We can give ourselves grace and fit in reading when everyone is in the right mood. And preferably, after they’ve had some sort of sustenance and the orange clay is washed off of playful feet and hands. We don’t have to “do it all” every day; we can do some of it each day. We can juggle being flexible and allowing grace, with intentionally fitting in the stories and moments that really count. I also want to add this; enjoy and savor the unexpected crazy, messy moments that you do fit it. They may make the best stories later!

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