I’m back in college, and currently taking a class on Children’s Literature. We recently discussed the novel Coraline, by Neil Gaiman. A lot of younger people in the class criticized the parents in the novel, since they mainly focus on their work and are unavailable to play with her all the time. However, since I helped raise a child for two years, I found myself defending the parents. Life happens. They were in the middle of moving to a new house and both worked full time from home. And it’s easy to forget that your child requires as much time with you as your job does.
In the end of the book (without spoiling too much) both Coraline and her parents learn a lesson about what really matters. So, are your kids craving your attention? Do they need one on one time? If you’re not sure, check out this post by Becky at Your Modern Family for signs:
-They are slow getting up in the morning- talk with them and connect with them to energize them.
-Something stressful is coming up in their lives- it could be school, moving, or anything else. If something is drastically changing in their life, you need to support them through it.
-Homework time, or coming home from school- this is a great time to get some quality bonding done.
-When they misbehave- often, giving them some more one on one time will solve issues.
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