Are you or someone you know a “kid person”? That person who all the kids naturally gravitate to? The one who comes up with all the neat crafts and science projects for them? The one who joins the kids in their loud songs and games? Yeah… I’m not one of those people. I’m the person who would rather do all the cleaning up post-family reunion solo than watch someone else’s kids.
That’s a strange statement coming from a woman who wants to have at least a half dozen offspring. Maybe it’s because I’ve always been an “old soul”- I always felt way older than I really was. When I was a little girl, I liked doing grown-up things. In social situations, I preferred hanging out with moms over kids my age. I hated babysitting- it didn’t matter how much I liked the kids, I couldn’t help but look forward to the parents coming back (even though the longer they were gone, the more money I made).
I should clarify that I don’t feel that way about my kids- I love them. But because I’m not a “kid person”, I have to be more intentional about spending time with my children. (I use that term loosely because hey, I am a stay-at-home homeschooling mom- it’s rare that I’m not spending time with my kids.) Being intentional means that I have to make conscious decisions to come up with activities for my kids- the ideas don’t naturally come to me. I feel like I failure because I have to schedule playtime for it to happen. I feel like I don’t measure up because I would rather sit and read while my kids play on the playground than to actually play with them.
But… I realize that there are areas I am gifted in: I’m more about teaching my kids real-life skills, like how to cook and do their laundry; I like to take them to museums, the library, and any other field trip I can come up with; and I have an extremely high tolerance for reading books to my kids until I’m hoarse. God made me the mother that I am, and I need to rejoice and work with what I have, instead of wishing I had the personality of a bubbly elementary school teacher. So if you’re not a “kid person”, thank God for the gifts He has given you, and thank Him for Pinterest- it will provide all the activities for your kids you can stand.
“Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Romans 12:6-7)
