When my phone is connected, the default setting is to play songs from my Apple Music account, which I haven’t downloaded anything to in years. So as I adjusted my mirrors, the Veggie Tales song “I Love My Lips” blasted. I laughed and skipped ahead. No offense, Bob and Larry. I let the randomness continue and half of the songs included hand motions or animal sounds. It made my heart break and warm at the same time. I miss the “Wheels on the Bus” days.
At the time, though, I remember occasionally wanting that bus to break down. It’s hard in those early years when the things you love—activities, music, food—are so different from what your little ones enjoy. But take it from a mom who just cried over an old playlist, these 25 things to do with little kids are moments to cherish while you can.
1. Pushing her on the swings and listening to her squeal
2. Sitting next to the tub while he plays with a washcloth and bubble bath
3. Sing-along songs that repeat over and over and over
4. Letting her wear a costume to dinner, the store, church—anywhere
5. Reading aloud with silly voices and noticing she’s enthralled
6. Always having someone to talk to while you’re going to the bathroom
7. Listening to a litany of “God bless ___” at bedtime prayers
8. Being woken up way too early by a little one with a sleepy face and footed pajamas
9. Feeling him grip you tightly as you hold him and step deeper into the pool
10. Letting her stir the batter (mess and all!)
11. Getting excited about going over railroad tracks
12. Crouching down to watch a bug crawl across the sidewalk
13. Chasing a naked bottom across the house after bathtime
14. Standing at the bottom of the slide and celebrating her bravery
15. Emptying his pockets before the wash and marveling at the collection
16. Celebrating when a meal is “all done!”
17. Putting on warm jammies and combing his hair after a bath
18. Counting piggies
19. Scooping pureed squash off her face
20. Blowing on his soft tummy and making him giggle
21. Playing peek-a-boo that never seems to get old
22. Chasing bubbles around the yard
23. “Reading” the bedtime story you actually have memorized
24. Holding his hands and swinging him around in a circle over the grass
25. Rocking her to sleep
But how do you embrace these moments while you can?
The little guys I used to tickle and play blocks with are now 9 and 10 years old, but if I could get a do-over, what I would tell myself to do would be this: simplify. Fewer toys to put away, fewer tiny socks to sort through, even fewer clothes. When we simplify, we naturally remove stressors and give ourselves a chance to be present.
We lean toward more instead of less in this stage because so many of the things we do with little kids feel rote. By having “more,” we think it will break up the monotony. But a University of Toledo study found that toddlers given fewer toys played twice as long with each one and engaged with them in far more creative ways. Less really is more, even science agrees. So go ahead and clear the clutter, slow down, and soak in every single second.
What’s something about having a little one that you know you’ll miss?
