We want to be entirely present for our kids, but that to-do list keeps beckoning. What's a parent to do?
- Do one thing at a time, fully. Sometimes that thing is being with your kids; sometimes it's attending to the rest of what needs to be done. Letting your kids know what when you're with them, you're with them all the way, and when you're doing other things, you can't be interrupted is a good way to prepare them for the world, where they're not always the center of the universe.
- When your mind wanders, bring it back, gently. That means saying to your mind, "Actually, we're doing this now." You might have to say it a lot, especially in the beginning. Mindfulness is a practice, and you'll get better with time.
- Give yourself a break. This is hard stuff!