From the Founder Series: Share Your Presence, Share A Meal
As a work from home parent, one of my main goals is to be 100% present when I’m with my child and 100% present when it’s time to work. I do a lot, but I’m terrible at multitasking (ask my husband). I can literally only focus on one thing at a time. In all honesty, I think we were made to function that way, to focus on only one thing at a time. It’s proven to achieve effective results.
But back to my point.
We’re talking about being 100% present. But how? There are so many things to do. So many things vying for our attention and mental space.
As soon as my daughter was able to feed herself and eat safely, I got into the habit during mealtimes and snack times of giving her food and then proceeding to check a few items off my to-do list while she ate. We all do that right? No? Ok, maybe just me.
Well, two things would happen as a result:
1. She would make a huge mess, adding another item to my to-do list (or she would just hop out of her booster seat and follow me wherever I was).
2. I would always forget to eat a meal for myself.
So I started thinking of ways to maintain a meaningful, quality connection while we were together — not just focus on doing another load of laundry, cleaning, or doing dishes, while at the same time, keeping us both healthy and nourished.
One of the ways I prioritize quality connection is in sharing my presence by sharing a meal.
We actually sit and eat together. We talk, we laugh, we eat, sometimes we sit together, sometimes she sits in her own seat. Sometimes it’s messy (ok, it’s always messy), but we’re full, we’re happy, and we’re together — our own little community of two.
Researchers have found that mealtime conversations boost vocabulary for young children. Children learned 1,000 rare words at the dinner table compared to only 143 from parents reading story books aloud, and children who have a large vocabulary read earlier and more easily.
So pull up a chair and break some bread with your toddler today.
Also, hit me in the comments and let me know some ways you connect with your kids as a working parent.
We got this,
Tiffany