Baby Dating

I’m a working mother. Not only that, but I work A LOT.  My job is very demanding, and I spend a decent amount of time travelling.

At this point many of you are probably asking “why?” or “is it worth it?”

My response to that is simply “I don’t know”. I can say that after prayerful discernment, I do believe this is what Jesus is calling me to do right now. It is the way in which I can best serve my family.

I have an amazing husband, who’s husband talents are only rivaled by his father talents. We have 3 children, ages 9, 6, 4. Between soccer, baseball, dance, preparing dinner, getting homework done, and making sure they aren’t the stinky kids in class, he stays quite busy. Oh, and did I mention he works full time as well?

Part of how I try to maintain sanity in this crazy world is spending time with my family. It took me a while to realize that going to the grocery store and Home Depot as a family was quantity time, but not really quality time. I realized I wasn’t connecting with my children in a way that allowed them to discuss the things on their sweet little minds.

Enter Baby Dating.

I decided it was time to set aside one-on-one time with each of my children and to make it a priority. My husband and I set realistic goals to spend time in a one-on-one setting with each of our children. We put it on the calendar. The cadence that worked for us was every other week. We’d rotate through each of our children and then switch.

With three this works out to dedicated time every 8 weeks. It doesn’t mean that this is the only alone time we spend with a particular child, it is just that this is set aside as “special time.”

Our children cherish this time and look forward to it with joyful anticipation.

Activities have included drinks, cake pops, and board games at Starbucks, ice skating, putt putt golf, dinner out, baseball or basketball games, etc..  We avoid things like going to the movies where we don’t really have a chance to have deep conversation (an exception being trips to the adoration chapel together).

During these baby dates we learn things about our children I don’t think we would have otherwise. They seem to open up like a morning glory on a dewy summer morning. They share whatever is on their minds. Things they are struggling with, what’s going on at school, their hopes and dreams about their future. These conversations are so precious and important for staying connected to my children as they head full on into their teenage years.

My advice, date your babies. They won’t be babies for long.