I love staying home. I love it when people come to us and we create memories in the space we have worked so hard to create. Our home is our family’s safe space.
And while it’s so important to have a place where you feel comfortable and secure, it’s just as important to leave that space every now and then.
I just entered the world of a stay-at-home mom, and like many other stay-at-home moms or people who work from home, it’s so easy to create a routine for yourself that centers around this safe place.
It has been so easy for me to choose to “stay in” over these past months. My main reason has been my two little kids. Although I love taking them out of the house and bringing them to our local library, the grocery store, the park, etc., the truth is that it’s not simple. It’s not impossible, by any means, but it’s just not simple.
Leaving the house involves planning and strategy. “We’ll leave right after breakfast so the baby has time to nap when we get back. If we’re out too long and the baby naps in the car maybe I will have time to pick up my Target order – I’ll use the drive-up service. I’ll have to pack a snack for my toddler, but I won’t need a bottle for the baby because we should be back home in time. I need to bring teethers so the baby doesn’t put anything in her mouth. Let’s change her diaper before we leave. My toddler didn’t go to the bathroom before we left, so I’ll have to keep an eye on her.” It goes on and on.
HOWEVER. There’s a world outside our home and my kids have to see it.
I take them on errands because I want them to learn life skills. My kids watch me choose the produce at the grocery store. They see me make my selection, put it in the cart, and watch me pay at the register. These are invaluable lessons.
But the point I am making here is not about the errands or the window shopping my kids and I do – it’s about the adventures we take.
I’ve fallen victim to only doing “special activities” on days my husband is off from work or days that fall on birthdays or other life celebrations.
I do my best thinking in the car, so as I was driving one day, I was thinking about how lucky I am that I now get to spend my days with my kids, but then realized that I wasn’t taking full advantage of it. Yes, we go places, visit people, and have fun doing these things, but I realized that I could do better.
“Your children get only one childhood.” – Regina Brett
And it’s in my hands.
I decided to step away from teaching to be with my kids because I didn’t want to look back on their childhood one day and feel as though I missed it. I’m not about to be part of their childhood only to look back on it and feel like we could have done more together.
So I’m making a change – better yet, I’m starting something new.
Every week, I am going to plan an adventure for my girls and me. It’s okay that my husband is working and it’s okay that he’s not a part of it. In reality, he is figuratively very much a part of it because he is the reason we are able to do these things. It’s because of him that I am motivated to make our kids’ childhood as memorable as I can.
Our kids will see things. They will see new places, things, and people. The adventures will teach them how to be open-minded, how they shouldn’t fear new things, and how to embrace new experiences.
I want my kids to have stories to tell at the dinner table.
My girls and I will be staying home some days because we love it there, but once a week, we’ll be filling up the car with gas and going somewhere. Where? I might not know until the night before, but I’ll plan something good. Maybe we’ll take a trip to a new town and explore its parks and coffee shops (my girls and I love a good piece of coffee cake), or maybe we’ll watch the airplanes take off and land at the nearest airport. No matter the simplicity or intricacy of the adventure, the important part is that we’ll be doing it together and seeing new things.
Because that’s what it’s all about. Spending time with my kids and making lifetime memories – both in our safe place and out in the world.
Want to see what adventures we take? Follow us for some fun and ideas for your own adventures!
#togochildhood
Find the blank monthly calendar I’ll be using to plan these adventures on my Etsy Shop – TheJugglingMama.
