One thing I never have enough of is time.
I always have the best intentions of accomplishing everything I want to do, but time still gets in the way. I am always re-prioritizing, always trying to squeeze more into the 24 hours I have each day. It never works. Something is always left undone at the end of the day. If I am not intentional, it is time with my family that gets shoved off my schedule.
One thing I never have enough of is time.
It is super stressful to try to make everything fit into every day. Especially if you have big dreams you want to accomplish. Like having a clean house, rocking it at work every day, and then spending meaningful time with your family every day. I wish I were that supermom that could accomplish that every single day. But I am not, so I must be creative to bring balance.
My daughter is 16 and very involved in several sports at school, working a part-time job, and maintaining her status as an honors student. This means that her schedule is FULL. She is busy. I think she is more active than I! Her schedule just further complicates my life. When I have time to do something with her, she doesn’t have time for me. I am determined not to let time keep us from connecting. To make sure I have time to really connect with her, I have decided to make time for Mother/Daughter getaways.
Choosing wisely
We went to a nearby hotel for a weekend to talk about staying the course, choosing friends wisely, avoiding the traps of bad decisions as a teen… and to shop, eat and have fun together. It was a blast! After that weekend, I vowed to block time with her regularly. While we did not have a weekend away, we began scheduling shopping trips, a girls movie night, or game night together every month.
This summer, we decided to take another Mother/Daughter trip.
We traveled to Virginia Beach with her best friend and her mom. What a blast!! The drive there and back was filled with fun memories and adventures! While we were there, we spent hours on the beach watching the tide and talking about everything and nothing. We walked the boardwalk and shopped at the local souvenir stores. It was a wonderful time connecting and building memories together that will last a lifetime.
It wasn't the location that made our trip so special, it was the connection between us.
I know that to keep our bond secure, I must invest in spending time with my girl. Money cannot be the determining factor of whether we spend time together or not. We can have an overnighter or weekend experience right here at home by creating adventures together. Being together trumps spending money together every time.
We are definitely going to be saving our money for an annual Mother/Daughter getaway—but that cannot be the only time you spend together. Once a year will not sustain your relationship. You must be intentional every day. Block time to connect. It doesn’t have to be hours, 10 minutes a day to check in and let her know you care can be all the time you will get some days. Make those 10 minutes count by thinking of them as your Mother/Daughter getaway.
The time you spend together won’t always be fun, but it will always be memorable. Enjoy your girl(s) and invest in her while you have her under your roof!
I am rooting for you!
Cathy