Good morning!

Kids grow up so fast. I often find myself advising parents, “Don’t blink! Your kids will be grown and gone quicker than you can imagine.”

When I tell parents not to blink, I’m mostly trying to get them to slow down and savor their time with their kids. When our daughter Lucy grew up and left for college, I was astonished at how fast it all went, even though I was mentally prepared for it!

We need as many positive experiences as possible with our kids. The memories will be with us for a lifetime. And if we are not regularly spending time to connect with and enjoy our kids, we are missing out on one of the best rewards of parenting.

When is the best time to plant a tree?

Answer: ten years ago. And when is the next best time to plant a tree? Right now! So don’t waste a second of your life on regrets. Regardless of what you wish you had done, figure out what you want to do today.

My wife Krista and I invested in our relationship with our daughter regularly as she grew up through intentional, scheduled, uninterruptable time with her 1:1, something we called Special Time. Here are some examples of what Lucy and I did for Special Time:

• Biking

• Going out for frozen yogurt

• Playing video games

• Playing silly games of tag

• Watching cartoons

• Making up ball games

• Playing music on her keyboard and singing

• Going out to movies

Special Time evolved over the years as Lucy got older and her interests changed, so our activities with her changed. Investing intentionally in our relationship with her continues to pay huge dividends since she went off to college.

We don’t hover, but we also don’t ignore her. We drive to her school and take her to lunch on weekends when possible. And Krista and I both have regular time set aside in our schedule each week to connect with Lucy by phone.

As your kids grow, they don’t need you less—they need you differently.

My advice to you? If your kids still live at home with you, start Special Time now with each one of your kids at least weekly. If your kids are already grown, check with them on their schedule and arrange to talk with them at least weekly.

When I look back on my time with my daughter, who grew up in the blink of an eye, I realize that my memories of our Special Time together are some of my best. Think about how you can schedule Special Time with your kiddo today.

Warmest regards,

Len

Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up HERE.