Being together

One of the things I love about Chloe is that she is so full of enthusiasm for spending time with us. So this evening after dinner Livia is having some chill-out time watching TV but Chloe wanted to help me clear the kitchen and is now practising maths with J. I don't think she particularly enjoys either but she adores having one-on-one time with us, especially when she is doing something which she know will please us.

I do wonder whether I will look back at this post with sadness when the girls are older and have moved on from the eager to please stage. Or whether this is part of Chloe's personality and she will always retain a bit of this. I also wonder how as parents we can cultivate this enjoyment of time together and manage to keep it going into the teen years. I know some teenagers do have very close relationships with their parents. But I still fear growing apart!

It is a challenge as a mum to remember that so much of being a 'good parent' is making time to spend with our children. Having a clean house or taking them to lots of clubs or arranging play dates is not going to compensate for that all important bonding time.