Excuses

“They don’t want to be with us, they would much rather be with their friends.”
How many times have we all heard this? Yes, sometimes of course it is true. And being with friends is important no doubt there.
But other times i believe it is an excuse.
This statement lets parents off the hook......allows them to be self indulgent without the guilt. A justification for their own pursuits.
Yes, it takes time and energy to be a good parent. To create a family with bonds. And it is often the much easier to make the above statement. and walk away.
A friend once told me how whenever they went out to dinner as a family, her daughter and son would bicker away, then her husband would get involved and how it just wasn’t worth it to continue to try. So they didn’t.
Another told me the story of her neighbors who have never taken their kids on one of their countless vacations. Much easier not to they tell her.
Many of these same people then try to compensate by buying their kids “things.” Do they really think that things make up for not being together?
It takes time to build a family.
The foundation takes love and care and sometimes tears yet yields so much joy.
And it grows from its foundation, until a special bond is forged - a safety net - made up of people who love you unconditionally and who have the same experiences as you. Experiences that only you uniquely have together. A special dynamic that is yours and carries you through when you have rough times. Take the “time.”
Take the time......
It is SO worth it!