A LITTLE ONE ON ONE....

Yesterday my 13 yr old had an orthodontist appointment to have his braces tightened.  I left work about 12:30 and picked him up from school for his appointment at 1:00.  As I sat in the waiting room I decided that I was going to take him out for lunch.  Now, if you are a mom with multiple children of all different ages, then you probably understand the chaotic day to day running and doing that goes on.  My oldest child is involved in everything possible at school. Between practice, rehearsals, and school trips, I keep the roads between my house and the school hot!  Then, I have the baby.  Well, he's 4 but he is still my baby! He is in constant demand of my time and attention as well.  So I feel like when it comes to my 13 year old, that maybe he gets looked over just a bit.  That is why I decided that yesterday would be a good day for just the two of us to spend some good quality one on one time.

After leaving his appointment we headed straight over to Chili's. This is one of our favorite places to go eat and living in a small town makes it one of the only places to go eat.  I don't know what I was thinking because the poor guy just had his braces tightened and was obviously not going to be able to eat very well.  I really don't think that mattered to him much though.  From the time we sat down until the time we left, that child talked non stop!  We talked about everything!  We talked about his favorite teachers at school, the classes that he doesn't care for much, going into the military, what wrong doings his friends are getting into, just a little bit of everything. 

I realized ,as I was listening to him talk, how he was just blossoming right infront of my eyes.  This kid has a lot to say and he thinks about a lot of things that I would never even dream that mattered to him.  Do you remember the blog about the Good Mom Award??  Yep, once again, I have managed to award myself with it!!  You have heard of the middle child syndrome?  It really does exist.  I realized in that instant how important a little one on one with each child is.

It's easy to forget the quiet, less dominant, less active child in your home.  They are not as demanding as the others.  It's easy to think that sitting around the dinner table every night gives that child the same amount of time that every child in the home gets.  It's easy to think that doing homework with that child is enough one on one time. 

I saw yesterday that how just taking him to eat somewhere and letting him express how he feels and talk about what ever he wanted to discuss made a world of difference.  Last night when my husband came home from work, he asked my 13 year old if he had enjoyed his time with Mom.  My husband said he just lit up and went to talking 90 to nothing again.

I think from now on I am going to start doing mommy/son dates.  I will take each one of them out and spend some good quality one on one time with each.  To tell you the truth, it was just as good for me as what was for him!  Stop the chaos for a little while and your children will teach you a thing or two!!

Genu-WINE Linda