Priorities, Perspective and a Preschooler

34

January 21, 2014 by CassieCravings

I was scrubbing the kitchen counter. I wasn’t even sure what spilled substance I was trying to mop up. Melted Popsicle? Maybe. I was so engrossed in my cleaning that I jumped when a dimpled hand flung my most expensive hand towel over the top of the counter.

Standing on his tip-toes with only his curls and a stretched hand visible, my little one began to clean right along with me.

“Where did you get the hand towel?”

“baf’wroom.”

“The guest bathroom?”

“Uh-Huh.”

“It’s decorative. Let’s not clean with it.”

He raised his eyebrows at my decorative towel, wearing the same confused look that my husband does when I tell him that some towels are just for looking.

“Thank you for helping me clean. We make a good team!”

“Yeah. You done yet?”

“Not quite.”

We continued our project inching down the counter. We sighed happily as we finished.

“You done yet?” he asked again.

“Not quite. Why do you ask?”

“Wells. You clean all ‘da day. You work all ‘da day. I wants you to puhlay withs me for all ‘da day. I misses you, my mama.”

I laid down the broom that I had busily picked while he spoke. Things had been especially busy. Or had I MADE them especially busy?

Either way my curly headed boy was right. Because he plays quietly and is good at entertaining himself, there are countless times that I just let him be. I would sneak an extra half hour or hour or who knows how long of work and cleaning and busyness into the day.

Work and cleaning and independent play are all important, but they are not the most important. My priorities were out of balance. Time with him trumps all of it.

I left the broom where it leaned and followed my little boy into his room. We played for robots and dragons for I’m not sure how long. I didn’t look at the clock. I didn’t check my phone or pick up the stray toys. We took the time to just be with one another.

After all, my curly headed boy will grow up far too soon. When he does, I won’t look back and regret the sink full of dishes or even the undone on the to-do list. However, I am sure that I will regret any time I turned down a quest to defeat the evil robots who were unfairly holding dragons captive in their castle.