Time for Your Children

I've just been reading a book about the life of a French queen. I felt so sad to read how she grew up wondering if her Mum and Dad really loved her. She didn't even get to live with them—she had a governess looking after her. They didn't visit her very often. Other people were far more important in their life than her. Growing up as a princess she was as rich as possible, and yet all she wanted was her parents love and time—not their presents. One day when she was an adult she heard a nun talking about her mother very positively.

“Your mother was a pious woman, I think,” Sister Nicole said one evening as they sat together.

“Perhaps,” was Jeanne's rather ambiguous answer.

“Are you not certain?” the nun questioned.

Jeanne shook her head.

“She would stroll through the woods at twilight, your mother. And every evening after her stroll she would go into our chapel, kneel down, and pray. Then she would rise and retire to her rooms for the evening accompanied by her ladies. These ladies had nothing but good to say of Madame, your mother, nothing but good.”

“What sort of things did they say about her,” Jeanne asked, studying the nun.

“Well, they said that she always was interested in what each one was doing. They said she was kind and often gave them gifts to help with family, with marriages...”

Sister Nicole stopped when she saw that Jeanne's lips were pursed and that her forehead was wrinkled in thought.

“Is there something that troubles you, child?”

Jeanne shook her head again. How could she tell the kind nun of all the hours that she had, as a child, coveted a kind word or a thoughtful question from her mother?
The nun went on to describe her mother some more.

Jeanne sat quietly, like a statue, her right hand cupped under her chin, staring off into the distance. In her mind's eye she could see a small child running about a large estate with no one to tend her but servants.

This is just one part of the book in which you see her craving for her mother's time and love. You can see it all through the book.

Reading this book reminded me of how important it is to spend time with our children.

Once I watched a video called “The Secret Garden” about another rich little girl whose mum didn't have the time or desire to be a Mum. She was only interested in parties and social life. This girl's parents got killed and she was left an orphan. Twice on the video she made bitter comments about her mother. One was “My mother didn't have time to tell me stories (or read to me, I can't remember which). I can't remember what the second comment was but I'm pretty sure it started off “My mother didn't have time...”Those comments have stuck with me and I hope they always will.

As mums we are so busy and there is always so much to do. But if we don't have time to spend with our children, we are too busy.

Children don't need lots of brand new toys and clothes. They need time and love.

It's not always easy.

It costs more to do something with your child than it does to buy them something. It costs time and patience. I have made it a habit to make time to do something with my children once in the morning and once in the afternoon. In the morning my youngest girl chooses something to do, and in the afternoon my oldest girl chooses something. Something that doesn't take more than ten minutes—like a puzzle, a game, coloring in, or reading a story. I don't always feel like it and there are always jobs waiting to be done. Now that my one year old is getting bigger, I need to spend extra time doing something especially for him, as he can't usually join in with what I'm doing with the girls and he wants to. More time!! Sometimes I wonder if it's worth the effort. But when I read stories like this, I'm positive it is!

My children don't get many brand new toys or clothes, but they do get time with Mummy.

I'm not someone who dreamed of being a Mum. My dream was to be an overseas missonary. I didn't see the significance of being a mother. God has had to work on my heart a lot and He still does! I need to remind my self often of the importance of being a Mum. So this post is written for me!

Somebody said, “If you want your children to turn out well, spend  twice as much time with them and half as much money 

.”