How an extra 10 minutes makes a difference to the relationship with your child

Our children grow up so fast and we need to cherish every moment.

I was reminded of this again talking to a mum who reviewed my Back to Work essentials guide. One of the things that helped her when she went back to work was to adjust her priorities and focus on what is most important to her as a mum. Often it’s the little things. For example:

• Reading a bedtime story for 10 minutes longer instead of hoovering the front room.
• An extra 10 minutes in the park instead of 10 minutes ironing.
• A 10 minutes cuddle before the daytime nap instead of emptying the dishwasher or checking your email.

You’ll be surprised at how quickly time flies by. It’s important to remember these early days and moments. Some people like to create a ‘happy memories’ account that you can draw on any time you need a little lift. Writing down your happy moments is a great way of doing this.

We have a memories jar – when we have a fun day or do something different, we write it on a slip of paper and pop it in the memories jar. We open up the jar on New Year’s Day and review our year together, and enjoy the fun & laughter all over again as we relive our memories.

What’s most important to you about being a mum? When your children are grandparents, looking back through their photo albums, what do you want them to remember about their childhood? What are the memories you’d like to create?

What would you do with an extra 10 minutes that would make a difference, even if you are a working mum?