I sighed with frustration as my daughter interrupted me once again. For goodness sake! I was trying to work, and she kept bugging me!
“Naomi,” I snapped, the frustration evident in my voice, “Mama has a deadline to meet! Please, just take my phone and do an app or something!”
“Don’t snap at me!” my sweet girl exclaimed. She immediately burst into tears and stomped off to the kitchen.
I would like to tell you that this happened only once and I learned my lesson about meeting her needs, but this is a scene that has played out over and over in my home. My Naomi is a seven-year-old only child, and she is full of emotions that can be difficult to navigate. As her parent, it is my responsibility to help her through those emotions. That simply cannot happen when her face is in a screen and mine is buried into my computer.
So what to do?
The bottom line is that we must find ways to connect with our children.
Every.
Single.
Day.
We need to determine the love language of our children and then communicate our love to them in a meaningful way. By doing this, they will feel loved, secure, and valuable. When they feel this way, their attitude will change, they will be more productive, and there will be peace in the home.
After my Naomi went into the kitchen, I sighed as I did my best to push down the anxiety and annoyance that had bubbled. I closed my computer, walked into the kitchen, took her in my arms, and held her for a bit. I told her I was so sorry for snapping at her and kissed her tear-stained cheeks. I asked her what she wanted me to do, and she said, “Play dolls with me.” Now listen. I haven’t been 7 years old for 33 years, so I am a bit out of touch with the “right way” to play. It is a stretch for me to play dolls, but that is how my girl needed me to show her love. And you know what? After playing with her for a bit, her attitude shifted. She was much happier, and eventually, she was ready to play independently, which allowed me to complete the tasks I had for the day. In the end, I really DID have all the time I needed to get my work done, and plenty of time left over to relax.
She was happy. I was happy. Our day ended well.
We have been given the gift of extra time with our children this week. Be sure to find meaningful ways to connect with them every day. It WILL make a difference.
~Jacque M.
Check out these ideas on ways to connect with your child/children, based on their love language.