Global News: Want to Slow Down Time?

Photo Credit: Ana Gambuto

As soon as November arrived, my 8-year-old, Stella, asked when Thanksgiving would roll around. What about Christmas, she immediately followed up. It didn't matter that just that morning, she had counted her Halloween candy stash for the third time. She even requested that I not take down the paper skeletons hanging on our door while she was at school.

Nonetheless, she needed something to look forward to. And I get it. I like planting things on my calendar to break up the monotony. It's only human to anticipate, especially during these bleak days (and I'm not referring solely to the weather). I'm certainly craving more twinkle, less tedium, anxiety, stress—fill in the blank.

But I also want her to relish in the ordinary, the in-between moments that make up most of our lives. And it isn't enough to tell her not wish away today by anticipating tomorrow. I need to show her how to appreciate the here and now. The challenge? I'm constantly in planning mode, thinking about the pile of laundry that needs washing, the doctors' appointments that need scheduling, the emails that need answering... You know what I'm talking about. Keeping up with a never-ending to-do list is part of our job descriptions as caregivers.

Yet, something tells me that all this multitasking probably means I need to slow down if I'm going to lead by example. Laura Markham, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and parenting coach, agrees. "We need to notice our own tendency to live in the future and give ourselves permission to savor," she says. "The mind doesn't live in the present moment, but the heart does."

So, as we enter this holiday season, I vow to follow my heart and sit comfortably in the right now. I will linger in those bedtime snuggles, fully focus when Stella tells me about her day, and look into her beautiful brown eyes when she's talking so that she understands that this is enough. Because it truly is. As Markham says, "life is full of tiny magical moments, and we can enjoy those without thinking of the things that knock our socks off."

What are your favorite tiny magical moments with your child? Write back and let me know.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Grace