My Small but Meaningful Time-Protected Moments with My Kids
Ano'ng sa inyo?
In one of the dad groups that I belong to, I saw a post from a fellow father who asked about what our time-protected moments were. Nakakatuwa yung mga nabasa kong sagot dahil karamihan sa mga ito ay ginagawa ko rin mismo. Sa totoo lang, simple lang itong mga bagay na ito, but I make sure that they are moments that my children will appreciate.
Here are some examples:
Hatid-sundo sa school
It’s been two weeks since school started. Kay Kuya Miguel, si yaya yung naghahatid just because sya yung mas kilala na ng teachers and guards sa SNED class nya. Pag maluwag naman ang schedule, I go with them sa speech therapy class nya sa Novaliches Bayan.
However, for Rafa, since his schedule is more permissive, I get to bring him to school and fetch him. I think mas na-aapreciate ng kids natin ang presence natin during their early years at school.
For example, Rafa was so nervous before school started. He was anxious about his classmates and teacher, and it makes a big impact when we are with them at school. Anyway, when he found out that some of his classmates in Grade 1 were also his friends from kindergarten (and his adviser is the same), he quickly warmed up and was soon chatting with his seatmate.
I find myself fortunate to be given the opportunity to bring my kids to school and fetch them.
Mealtimes
Mealtimes are also sacred family moments; that’s why I make sure to be present when my kids are eating. For example, when working from home, I make sure to leave whatever I’m doing and join them in their meals. Sabay-sabay kaming kakain.
Tsaka usually mararamdaman mo talaga ang lambing ng mga bata when they are eating. Kung minsan, Rafa would randomly request, “Daddy, subuan mo ako.” It’s moments like this that I’m sure we’ll miss someday.
Bedtimes
I relish the thought of me (and their mom) interacting my kids before they fell asleep. A little prayer, a bit of bonding before they close their eyes, story time (kahit paulit-ulit), until they fall asleep. It’s also an opportunity for us to say our I Love You’s to them before they go off to slumberland. One good practice that I learned also from my dad group is to say to our kids that we are proud of them, so that’s what I will incorporate in our next bedtime bonding.
Bath time
I admit that on regular days, it’s very seldom that I get to give my kids a bath. However, whenever we are on a holiday in the province, I happily take on that task. As I’ve mentioned earlier, it’s good that Rafa’s class schedule is in the afternoon, so we have the whole morning to bond and prepare for it.
These are just the things that I can immediately think of. Of course, we have our usual weekend bonding like eating out and taking the kids to the mall. We cherish those moments because we know that when they grow up, they will have a world of their own in which we may not always be a part of.
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