Tell them you love them.....A lot.

Being a single parent (or just a parent in general) and doing the balancing act can be hard. Pressure is up to raise a kid without messing him up too terribly bad so that he will still be able to function in society when he gets older. Then making sure I meeting job requirements, school requirements, taking care of the house, paying bills, making sure there is enough money for the bills, making time for myself to be alone...and balancing whatever else gets thrown my way.

I got into a place where I felt I had so much on my plate, I became the..."yes, but you will have to wait" mom. The biggest moment of realization is when Preston was role playing with his stuffed animals in his room and told his stuffed animal "Yes, I will play with you. But you have to wait because I need to get my work done". This was not OK with me. Your kids mimic everything you say and my heart was broke. What I have been telling Preston is that everything else is more important than him! And its not!. Right then I went into his room and asked "Hey my man, you want mommy to play with you?" His face lit up! We spent the next couple of hours just playing whatever he wanted to. No texting, no homework, no paperwork, laundry, dishes, ....just time with me and my boy. I loved the feeling. The random "I love you mommy, your my favorite."

Now, don't get me wrong. I know there are times when things happen and stuff needs to get done right then and there and the kids have to wait. It's good to teach them patience and know that your not always going to be able to play. That being said,however, I think it is imperative to set aside 1-2 hours a day of solid parent/child time. Something you can remind the kiddos about and give them something to be excited about! And during this time...turn the phone off, the t.v, the computer, and focus on you and the kid. Your kid will be so happy you did this, I am sure you will learn something new about your little one too!

I love being a mom. I want to make sure I am doing my best...and look down years from now and see how well Preston is turning out. He is well balanced, sociable, and so darn smart!

One last thing,..... tell your kids you love them ALL the time. You really can't say it too much. I tell Preston I love him so much, when I say "Guess what Preston!?" he says "I know mom, you love me". :) And he is right! I love him to pieces.

"Kids spell love T-I-M-E."