My Parenting Resolution for 2013
The other day my twelve year old and I sorted out her early years books, to give away in charity. The sight of the books, as we pulled them out of the shelves, overwhelmed us with memories of the times we'd spent together. We went back to the days when her tiny hands would plunk a book into my lap, and I'd grip her with an effortless, enthralling narration. i Devices and gadgets had not intruded into our lives, and my dumpling enjoyed her story sessions with me, more than any other activity. Times have changed, my little one has grown into an independent preteen, and the house is filled with mechanical raiders that have robbed us of the time and space that we could have still shared harmoniously, together.
I no longer read stories to her. She has grown into an avid reader herself, and when she is not reading, she has games and gizmos to keep her occupied. I do not like the gadgets that distance us. I long to spend more quality time with my princess, time that will add to our memory's treasure trove, one that started with the early story time years. To that end, I've decided to be my daughter's friend, and reclaim all the togetherness that we've carelessly tossed aside so far.
From now on, baking sessions keep us together; we whip, froth and handle the oven. I listen to Bruno Mars, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift, with her. That's fun! I've swapped How I Met Your Mother, The Last Man Standing and Grey's Anatomy for Good Luck Charlie, Jessie and A.N.T Farm. The new trade off delights me when she invites me to sit with her and tells me all that I've missed. I cannot read all of her books, but do enjoy the snippets that she brings to me from Dork Diaries and even Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Each time she croons Pumped up Kicks and Hall of Fame, she pulls me to her side, with the knowledge that I love to hear her sing my favorite numbers.
She will soon be an adult living life entirely on her own. I do not wish to impede that process, or bite into her personal space. All I wish is to make ourselves a part of each other's fondest memories. 2013 will see me work towards that.
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