Doing Right By Our Kids

As I write this, it is 10pm and Josh (8y) is watching cartoons. He hasn't showered in a few days. He sat at dinner with us earlier for all of maybe 5 minutes before running off to play again.

We visit friends and I see their routines; all the kids sitting around the table, all served the same meal, all showered and in bed by 8pm. I won't lie, I doubt myself. I wonder if I am doing right by my kids by giving them so much say over their schedules and activities. I fear I am doing them an injustice. I worry I've got it all wrong.

But each night, Josh cuddles with me in my bed (after changing into clean clothes and washing up at bit, albeit not a full shower) to talk about the best and worst parts of our day, as well as what we're looking forward to. We laugh together, and I know that he is happy. When I was feeling sick this last week, both the kids snuggled with me and stroked my arms and brought me crackers, and I felt their love and compassion.

We may not all sit together at dinner each night, but we spend time together in joy and love and laughter throughout each day. When I see their smiling faces, I know I am doing something right. It is so easy to doubt ourselves, especially when we're doing something against society's norm. Instead of looking outward and comparing ourselves to others to see if we're doing things "right", we need to look inward into our own hearts and our children's faces. They will tell us all we need to know.