Simple & Slow Fridays: One-on-One Time

Excerpts I liked from this week's chapter of Mitten Strings for God:

We all know that children need some special one-on-one time with their parents. But sometimes we forget that we parents need this kind of time alone with our children, too. And, unfortunately, when the pace of life speeds up, one-on-one time is often the first thing that gets squeezed out. Our schedules deprive us of each other. Yet when we do that bit of extra juggling required to make a special, separate place for each child, the rewards are well worth the effort. (p 79)

What makes all of these interludes special is the fact that they force us to slow down, to alter the rhythm of our daily lives in order to make time for each other. Given our other obligations and the length of our to-do lists, it is all too easy to forget the good stuff-namely, how much we actually like our own kids as people, how much we enjoy their company, and how important it is for us to have fun together. (p 81)

...I am amazed by the questions my children ask when we are alone together, by their breathtaking confidences and their acute perceptions of their world. It feels then as if I am being offered a glimpse of their true colors, pure and shining. I see not only who they are, but who they are becoming. (p 82)

How do you work in one-on-one time with your kids? Do you have any special things you do on a routine basis? Where in your schedule can you fit more one-on-one time in?

On a personal note, I'd really like to know how parents with more than two children handle one-on-one time... do you just rotate through each child? Do you have a "set schedule"? (ie grocery shopping every Saturday morning and stopping for breakfast alone on the way home) How do you make it work?

I look forward to reading your post on "One-on-One Time" next week! Click here to link up your post on this week's topic, Stories.