This is quality time?

Another busy week. In addition to the usual activities that keep me on the go, I had a few extras, including dental appointments for all the kids.

Usually I schedule the kids’ dentist appointments all at once. It’s a crazy hour of choosing toothbrushes and fluoride flavors, riding the chair up and down, looking at the dentist’s diplomas, and choosing prizes from the prize box. But it works.

This time, because of a conflict, I had to schedule our our nine-year-old’s appointment all by herself. While she was having her teeth cleaned, I stood there, talking with the hygienist and the dentist. We were gone from home no more than 30 minutes.

That night when I tucked her into bed, I went through our usual, “How was your day” routine. When I asked her what was the best part of her day, she answered, “Being with you today at the dentist. It was really fun.”

I stopped short. The dentist? Really?

I thought back to our time at the dentist. We had a five minute trip in the car each way, and a few minutes in the waiting room. It was one very rushed stop of many in the course of a busy afternoon. We talked a little, but it seemed all very surface to me: How was your day, What did you do in art today? That sort of thing.

But to my child, it was the highlight of her day. And I missed it!

Or did I?

I feel guilty a lot that I don’t get to spend the “quality” time with each child that I would like. Life is full, and even though I have good intentions, I often don’t do a good job of it.

But maybe I’m trying too hard. My child is willing to have her teeth scraped in order to spend time with me. To have thirty minutes of my undivided attention. Surely I can do better than that!

This weekend while our family is home together celebrating Easter, I’ll be thinking about:

• How can I give each of my children some of my undivided attention today?
• How can I turn my mundane activities into quality time with my children?