Early on, Katie and I decided that we would have a hard and fast rule-that our kids would not sleep with us each night. The reason we made this rule was probably because of the years that we lived in our parents’ beds. I’m not too ashamed to say that if it wasn’t for my mom laying down with my brother, who was in the same room as me, I might never have gotten out of their bed.
Although I know that many parents enjoy sharing their beds with their kids, we’ve been really happy that we’ve kept ours in their own beds.
We inadvertently started a new tradition at bedtime each night.
When our 6 year old son was younger, he started asking me to snuggle when I’d put him to bed. Of course, this was something I couldn’t say no to.
So we started the tradition that we always lay down with our kids for a few minutes, which we call snuggling.
I can’t help but be acutely aware that this won’t last forever. And while some nights I just want to get them to bed so that we can have at least a few minutes of the evening to ourselves, I try to remember that fact.
The truth is, I’m not as worried about my girls reaching the point where they’re less cuddly, although I know that that day is coming as well. It’s my son who I feel like the clock is ticking on.
Each time he asks me to pick him up, each time he gives a hug and kiss, and each time he asks to snuggle, I know that I need to be taking advantage of these opportunities because I know things won’t last forever in their current form.
Whatever goal you’re working towards, these moments are worth being here for.
If you’re a parent, it’s worth the reminder every now and again.
It’s easy when you’re working towards a goal or you’re trying to make something happen in your life, or when you’re feeling worn down by the grind that is parenting, to just be totally invested in whatever you’re doing.
But it’s important to remember to be in the moment, even when you haven’t reached the plateau yet. It’s easy to think that things will be different when you finally get your debt paid off, or you get into your house, or you get the promotion at work.
If you do have a goal that you’re striving towards, make sure that you’re focusing on taking action every day. Get yourself one step closer to your goal. Do one thing that will help you make progress.
But then, make sure that you’re enjoying your life at each individual stage. No matter what, each stage of your life has something special that’s not to be missed. Make sure that you aren’t overlooking it just because you’re too busy scanning the horizon for that thing you want.
Enjoy the snuggles, because even when you’ve reached your goal, you won’t be able to go back for more.
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