He reached for my hand and then looked up. His sweet smile and lingering gaze flooded my weary heart with much-needed peace. “Thank you for taking me to the library, Mommy! It’s like we’re on a date! I like it when it’s just the two of us.”

We entered the library, hand in hand, and headed toward the LEGO table. As I began gathering books nearby, I was surprised to feel my son’s arms around me. He gave me a quick squeeze and a kiss with an “I love you, Mommy” before returning to his LEGO—three separate times. My typically rambunctious, energetic boy was completely calm as he contentedly played and showered his momma with affection. I was quite smitten.

It was at that moment that I felt a nudge to my heart that I know was straight from my Heavenly Father. He was very patiently reminding me of the importance of spending one-on-one time with my children while graciously showing me the blessings that flow as a result.

I don’t believe any mom sets out to purposely fill her calendar to the brim, overly commit herself, or spend more time scrolling social media than then she does pouring into the hearts of her children. Yet, that’s exactly what we do. We are busy and distracted, and it’s taking a toll on our families.

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Our children need to know they are more important to us than our cell phones. They need to know that we would rather cherish special moments with them than snap the perfect photograph to share with the rest of the world. As much as we enjoy supporting them in their endeavors, cheering them on, and giving them good gifts, we enjoy being with them even more. We must faithfully connect and communicate their worth in our eyes.

Our children are created in the image of the very One who spoke the majestic mountains and kaleidoscopic sunsets into existence. They are each crafted with an intellect to learn, discover, and create. A heart to love and serve those in need. Emotions to experience the joys, beauty, and sometimes sorrows of life. And a soul, a precious soul, that will spend all eternity either in God’s presence or absence.

No matter their age, our children hold immense value, and we’ve been entrusted with the responsibility of loving and leading them to the best of our ability. Deep down we all know this, but somewhere along our parenting journey many of us begin to lose our way. All of a sudden physical provision and making our kids happy becomes our primary focus rather than the nourishment of their hearts and souls.

What would our homes look like if we spent more time investing in our children and families? What if we turned off the electronics, ate around the dinner table each night, and went out to explore God’s beautiful creation together? What if we had deep conversations about what matters most, played games, built projects, used our imaginations, and laughed so hard that sweet memories naturally flowed as a result?

What if we lovingly, but firmly, took the time to discipline our children in order to teach them important truths in our ever-wavering society and protect their hearts What if we told them all about the One who died to be their Savior and lived a life that actually revealed our sincere love for Him? What if we apologized for our mistakes and pointed them to a faithful God who will never fail or forsake them?

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What if we fervently prayed for our children and dug into the Word to learn more about the character of our gracious God who saw fit to breathe life into their precious souls? What if we realized that each day is a gift that isn’t promised?

Sweet friend, our kids do not need more stuff, experiences, extracurricular and social opportunities, or shallow affirmations. They need us.

The truth is that as much as our culture will scream at us that our children need healthy peer relationships and confidence to navigate the world around them, what they need most is a mom and dad who spend time with them, value, guide, correct, discipline, teach, and cherish them. Deep down our children are craving the friendship, boundaries, wisdom, and guidance of loving parents. Let’s be their safe place and lead them well.