How much of our day is spent getting through it - cruising along in survival mode?

We have our armoury of automatic responses to streamline situations we have played out hundreds of times.

As we navigate the adult world full of duties and obligations we fool ourselves into believing what we are doing keeps the world turning.

It's all so logical, practical.

But that's not how our children see it.

Saving Time Isn't Investing Time

A child's perception of priority is a wonderful lesson to us adults.

As I juggle my hundred "important things to do right now" my daughter wants to tell me about something that happened at school, my son wants to show me his latest Lego creation or my youngest wants to play puppies.

I can save time by telling them I'm busy.

Saving time, I wade through my jobs with that added weight of something trivial trumping my child's reaching out to me.

But if I invest my time the reward is significant..

For 5 minutes, which is only 300 seconds - I have a child who feels listened to, safe, loved, secure, empowered.

Time passes so very quickly as your children pass through their different developmental stages.

You never know when your last bedtime story will be or Lego will suddenly be discarded until you are looking at it through the rear view mirror.

The time you spend, you can never get back.

The time you invest will create indestructible diamonds which can never be stolen.