Giving Time to our Kids

When we think of giving of ourselves, we often think of charity.Or others think of their careers, but it also entails giving of one self to family, especially our kids.

Often we ignore the needs of our children, sometimes unknowingly, to further our careers, or to pursue other endeavors. We don't need statistics to tell us that children are getting involved in drugs, crime, and sex at an earlier age. So what about the parents? Increasingly disconnected to reality, ironically by "reality shows", the Internet, video games, and all manner of handheld devices when they finally arrive home. The disconnect is so profound that many parents find it hard to believe it when their children get into trouble. With each successive generation our children seem to be almost imperceptibly drifting from the morals of the generation before them.

And really no self help books, no psychobabble will take the place of common sense. The common sense that tells us that our kids really need time more than any other asset we can give them. As old fashioned as that sounds, it's really that simple. No corporation, no video game, no iPhone app, no amount of money, no relationship is more important than our children.

I will admit it's not always an easy task. We are pulled in so many different directions by our obligations such as paying bills, our jobs, taking care of the house. All these demands sap our mental and physical strength. But all it takes is something like the recent devastation wrought by tornadoes across the nation to remind us what really matters. Amid the destruction of various material items which can be replaced, making sure loved ones were alive and well took precedence over anything else.

Like I said I struggle mightily with this at times. I'm a professed Internet junkie, and prying myself away from it can be difficult. I don't know how many times I've said "alright, just one hour and that's it," only to look up and three hours later I'm still surfing! Believe me I'm far from the perfect parent.

As the father of two teenagers and one pre-teen I have my hands full. Keeping our kids relatively safe from so many corrupting influences is a full-time job in of itself! One of my biggest teaching tools is common sense. Now you know how difficult this can be in a world where common sense is not so common. Teaching them to be people of integrity, hard working, ect. takes a lot out of us as parents. But somehow we make the time. And it will pay off, at least that's what I keep telling myself.

 So hopefully the next time I ask them to take out the trash, or load the dishwasher, or clean their rooms, they'll know it's for their own good. Ha! If only I could be so fortunate. I'm sure when I'm a decrepit old man in a wheelchair, right before they roll me into a nursing home, they will thank me for contributing to their success in life. So the next time your kids need to talk, make time for them. It will surely pay off in the end.