Mother-Son Time

Since Lucas started Kindergarten I don't get many chances to spend time with just him anymore. I remember the same feeling after Kayla was in school and Lucas was born ... not having much mother-daughter time with Kayla. It was rare to get to spend some one-on-one time with her.

I know it's important for each child to have some alone time with each parent for that undivided attention, and while my intentions are good for trying to schedule that, I often fail at finding the time. Weekends are usually pretty packed doing things together as a family that we don't get much time to go our own ways with each child.

As preschool was winding down for Lucas I was treasuring the last few times we were able to do things together like the occasional breakfast at IHOP which was a treat for him since Kayla can't eat there.

Looking back on my time with Lucas before he started Kindergarten I feel like I didn't take advantage of all the 'free' time we had together. That I didn't get us involved in enough things. That we didn't have enough special days together exploring our community. Although Joe said it seemed like I was always telling him what Lucas and I did over the week; I look back and can't remember much of what we did!

A couple of weekends ago I had planned for us to go, as a family, to Drayton Hall since it was free for Smithsonian Museum Day. We've been to this plantation before, and while the kids aren't too interested in the house tour, it is nice to walk the grounds and take the trails by the river and the marsh walk.

Kayla ended up having a friend over to play that day and when her friend wasn't going to the plantation Kayla wanted to stay home instead. Lucas said he still wanted to go to the plantation and since Drayton Hall is part of the Charleston Explorers Club we could get the kids' passports stamped.

So Lucas and I spent a nice afternoon together; just the two of us, exploring the grounds of Drayton Hall, and counting all the large spider webs on our marsh walk. And it reminded me that I need to make more of an effort to find time for Joe-Lucas, Joe-Kayla, Me-Kayla, Me-Lucas time together!

 We thought it was pretty neat to see how this tree grew around this old railroad tie and eventually lifted it off the ground.

 

How do other families fit in time with each child to have one-on-one time with each parent?