Quality Time: A Music Jam Session

It’s the 28^th of January and I wake up with mixed feelings....it’s 3 days until Chloe my eldest starts Prep, beginning with her Orientation Day tomorrow. Will she be ok? Will she be happy? Will she be ok without a rest time during the day? So many questions....yet she is so excited....STOP.....I need to stop and make the most of this time with her at home. So I look at her and Jack, my 2 year old and decide to have a fun time with music.

So out comes the box of musical instruments that have been slowly collected over the years, a drum, tambourine, xylophone, an array of bells, whistle, recorder, clickety clack and maracas to name a few. Then we need some background music on. Chloe quickly chooses Hey Now You’re An All Star from Shrek. So we pump up the music and have a jam session. With no one else home, my inner child comes out and we bounce around the lounge room dancing and playing the instruments....so much fun!!

After several songs Jack loses interest and Chloe wants to sing. Knowing that ‘mummy’ was always in the Choir at school and that she is going to join the Prep Choir this year, she asks mummy for a princess singing session. So on goes the Disney CD.....Beauty and The Beast, Colours of the Wind and a new song to us – When Will My Life Begin? from Tangled, which I have quietly become obsessed with. Thanks to Google we could quickly find the lyrics for this beautiful song and the singing continued.  So there we are singing at the top of our voices, having the time of our life.

So why am I writing about this experience? Because it’s an example of being a fun parent utilising quality time. Letting my hair down, letting the inner child out, being a child all over again with my two beautiful children who are non judgmental and love every minute of it – that’s what being a parent is about!

Of course there are serious sides to parenting and with the increasing stress of everyday life, we are all time limited.....but every parent can find a few minutes each day to have some fun quality time with their children.  Make it an essential part of your daily routine.....our children grow up so quickly....don’t let yourself miss these important years!