Is it happening too fast for you?  Are your children growing up too quickly?  There was a time when I used to be able to hold my babies snug in my arms.  Now when I pick them up, they take up more than half my body length.  (Oooh, I love those bodies!)

Dan started working on his MBA when Sweet Girl was two weeks old.  She’ll be 4 this year and he’ll be graduating in December.  I remember when Sweet Boy used to rock out to the opening of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  Now, he is interested in other things.  Things change quickly.  They change quickly.

We are at a wonderful and fun age, but I feel the busyness of life creeping in, competing for my attention.  It is easy to lose yourself to all that needs to be done.  After all, food must be cooked, a house cleaned and kids driven to activities.  There are church, volunteer and work  commitments to be met . . . not to mention when you take on a big project (like trying to prepare your house for sale or moving.)  Life can get so busy.  And I am realizing that busyness is simply a part of life.  But I don’t want to be lost in it and miss out on special moments with my children.

When we are stressed at work, overwhelmed by what we have to do, tempted to focus our own desires and dare I say ambitions, we need to remember that this precious time with our kids doesn’t last forever.  Here are 5 little reminders that we everyday mamas need to hear once in awhile.   

1.  Play A Lot ~ My kids love when they have my full attention.  Drop what you’re doing and play dolls, build an amazing lego tower, or play their favorite board game.  Get down on their level and connect with your kids on the floor.

2.  Laugh Often ~ Are you a fun mom?  Be silly.  Joke with your children.  My kids think I’m hilarious when I tell them something that is obviously wrong, like when I have strawberries for them and I tell them to sit down and eat their cauliflower (and then continue to interchange other wrong foods that are less desirable than strawberries until their laughing silly.)  And so to at least 2 people, I’m funny!!  😉

3.  Yell Less ~ When patience is running low, I’m sick or feeling stressed by something, my fuse is short.  And I will admit, I have been yelling more lately.  I don’t want to have my kids look back on their childhood and think of me as a yeller.  Discipliner, yes.  Yeller, no.

4.  Hug Tight ~ Be affectionate with your kids.  Squeeze them.  Hug them and tell them how much you love them.

5.  Teach Always ~ As moms, we are constantly in a position to teach.  From living by example and deliberate instruction to taking advantage of teachable moments, there is an ocean of things I want my kids to know.  I want them to learn good manners, to develop hearts to serve, to age-appropriately handle their feelings and not getting their way, to be hard workers and so very much more.  Most importantly, I want them to learn the value of God’s Word and the prominent place Jesus should hold in their lives.

So each day, make a little time to savor the moments.  Cherish the memories.  This time with babies at home will not last forever.  On Wednesday, I’ll share a little project to help remind us that other things in life can wait.  Children grow up fast!

Linked up with:  The Better Mom