Intentionality

Some wise woman at MOPS once mentioned that she always wanted her kids to know that they were her top priority.  She wanted to be available.  She decided that once her kids were home from school, she would be 100% available to them.  She didn’t check email, answer her phone, or work.  She just enjoyed her kids.

I remember being pretty impressed by her intentionality as I considered how often I shooed off my kids impatiently as I hurried to finish editing a shoot, put a couple of work hours in, or just wanted to check my Facebook page.  I also remember thinking I wanted to try it.  But with only one of my two kids in school (and only 4 1/2 hours per week at that), it seemed impractical and impossible.

Fast forward at least 3 years and another kid later.

Now I have one gone 5 full days and another gone 5 half days.  Time for Operation Intentional.

For me, that means that once PJ hops into the car in carpool, I go M.I.A. to the rest of the world until the kids are in bed.  I may check my email once to make sure nothing urgent came in, and I’ll probably screen voicemails because Murphy tells me that some kind of emergency will happen if I’m super-connected all day and go M.I.A. for only a short time.  Yes, I’m that kind of paranoid.  So please don’t be offended if you try to get a hold of between 3PM and 8PM and I don’t respond.  I’m probably helping with homework or just eating Rita’s.  Unless of course it’s the middle of winter and Rita’s isn’t open.  But you get the picture.

It also means you have my permission to yell at me if you get an email from me during that time or see me on Facebook or if I actually answer your call.