The One thing Kids Crave (That We’re Missing)

Happy Thursday! You made it!

Here’s a truth I hear from my parents every single week: we’re so busy taking care of our kids that we forget to just be with them. Between school pick-up lines, homework battles, work emails, sports practices, and making something — anything — resembling dinner, our days are full before we even have a moment to breathe.

But here’s the thing: our kids don’t always need us to do more. Sometimes, they just need us to be there. Not driving them somewhere, not telling them to put on their shoes, not multitasking — just sitting beside them and being present.

And no, this doesn’t mean you need to cancel your plans or spend hours staring into their eyes (that would be weird for everyone). It just means taking a few intentional minutes to do “nothing” together — something that’s fun, unstructured, and free of any agenda. Even a few minutes a day can have an enormous impact on connection, behavior, and regulation — for both of you.

So here’s your gentle reminder: carve out a few small, silly, relaxed moments with each of your kids this week. No checklist, no learning objective, no pressure. Just time.

Real World Strategy: 

If it’s been a while since you’ve had one-on-one “nothing” time, start small. Watch a funny animal clip together, spot cloud shapes, or ask your child, “If we had 10 minutes to just hang out, what would you want to do?” Then do exactly that. You might be surprised by how much connection happens in those 10 minutes.

🌊Want to dive deeper? To learn more about why connection is a human’s deepest and most profound need, check out Parenting in the Real World: Cornerstone Beliefs: Connection (Level 1, Course 1, Section 3).

📚Resource of the Week: 

Research shows that human connection is not just nice to have — it’s essential. Our need for connection rivals our need for food, water, and shelter. Here’s a fascinating article on why spending simple, quality time with our kids nourishes their emotional development (and ours, too).

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If you feel like you’re constantly doing everything for your kids but missing real moments with them, reach out here. Parenting doesn’t have to be this hard.

You’ve got this. And I’ve got you.

Cari

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