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Daddy Play With Me!
An Excerpt from the book Hidden Messages: What Our Words and Actions are Really Telling Our Children (McGraw-Hill, 2000)
By Elizabeth Pantley
Changes You Can Make
Review the priorities in your life, make a list of your top five, and begin investing the bulk of your time and energy in those choices. If you are a parent, your list, of course, should include your children. Keep your list of five handy, and refer to it whenever a decision arises. Ask yourself, "Does what I am doing, or about to do, fit into my list of priorities?" Unlike much advice, this way of living is not "easier said than done." On the contrary, it's "easier done than said!" You'll find that it doesn't take hours to fill a child's need for attention. Sometimes fifteen minutes will fill your child's cup – and then allow you to tend to your daily rituals without that nagging sense of guilt, or that feeling that something important is missing. In this story of Jeff and Lily, if he had dropped everything upon his arrival home and given Lily 30 minutes of undivided attention, he may have satisfied her need for his love. She might then have been happy to scamper off and allow him to get to his business, or perhaps trailed along with him letting their connection linger throughout the evening.
