Here’s to telling our kids no and not now.

I consider myself a very hands-on mom. I love to play outside with them, to be silly with them, and to kiss their little cheeks as much as they will let me.

But sometimes, mommy needs to cook dinner. To do laundry. To be an adult.

Recently, my 4-year old asked me to play cards with her. I was preparing for an upcoming trip, and there were things I had to do. When I told her “not right now,” I could tell she was disappointed.

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No one wants to wake up one day and realize they’ve cat’s-in-the-cradled their life away, but many of the well-intentioned “stop working, hold your babies” posts just make me feel guilty. Is it just me?

I already try to soak up as much of them as I can, and they make me question if I’ve done enough.

I explained to her that she was free to play while I finished what I was working on, but that mommy needed to do some mommy things first. I have my children do some age-appropriate chores, but I want them to enjoy being kids and playing as long as possible.

Her sweet little self thought about it for a while, then decided she wanted to help me so that we could play together faster. I accepted and told her how thoughtful she is.

Mama, don’t let the days are long but the years are short make you feel guilty.

Children require a lot of time . . . some of that is playful, but a lot of that is caring for their needs as well.

I thought time flew with my first child because I worked outside our home. But with our second, I realize that time flies regardless of circumstance. That never having enough time is part of the beautiful, wonderful tragedy of parenthood.

Here’s to helping them understand that though they mean the world to you, the world does not revolve around them.

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Here’s to learning that they can’t (and won’t) always get their way.

Here’s to practicing important life skills together.

Here’s to teaching them patience and to wait.

Here’s to teaching them how to live a happy and balanced life.

Originally published on the author’s Facebook page