The Best Gift for Children is Called TIME
The best gift for children is called TIME. They doN’t sell it in toy stores or on the Internet. Children can’t even see how it’s wrapped up, but when they get it, their little eyes sparkle with happiness.
It’s not something they can see or touch because the best gift is time is within us. It’s our being at their disposal making them understand that there’s nothing so important that it forces us to quickly turn the pages of their favorite story.
Because it’s only through the time we dedicate to them that children can perceive the magic of the love we feel for them. Because this time is different than when we let them use our cell phone, the tablet, or let them watch their favorite programs on TV.
Sitting behind a screen (whether it’s you or your children) isn’t how the most important bond in our life is created. A secure attachment is built solidly with time, education, love, and affection. Only through time can the fabric of a strong emotional interior be woven in a time of infinite changes that need to be shared with adults.
A moving story that reflects the importance of parenting
Night had already fallen but a little boy was trying hard to stay awake. The reason was well worth it: He was waiting for his dad. His mischievous eyes were feeling droopy heavily when the door opened and his dad appeared after a long day’s work.
Son: “Dad, can I ask you a question?”
Father: “Yes, of course, what is it?”
Son: “Dad, how much money do you make in an hour?” He said with wide eyes.
His father, both annoyed and tired, was very blunt in his answer.
Father: “That’s none of your business, why are you asking me such a thing?”
Son: “I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you earn for an hour? “
The father, upset, replied with a simple, “$100 per hour.”
Son: “Oh, dad, can I borrow $50?”, he answered sadly.
Father: “If the only reason you want to know what I earn is to borrow money to buy you some silly toy, then stay in your room, don’t come out, and think about why you’re being so selfish. I work too hard every day to have to deal with this childish behavior”, he replied, furious.
The boy quietly closed the door to his room. The man sat up and started to get even angrier about the little boy’s question. “How dare he ask such questions just to get some money?” After an hour or so, the man calmed down and began to think: “Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $50, after all, the boy doesn’t ask for money very often.” So he went to the door of the boy’s room and opened it.
Father: “Are you asleep, son?”
Son: “No dad, I’m awake.”
Father: “I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you. It’s been a long day and I took my frustration out on you. Here’s the money you asked for… “
The boy stood up, smiling.
Son: “Oh, thank you dad!”, the boy whispered as he put his little hand under the pillow and took out several coins.
Then he got up and grabbed some crumpled coins and bills from under his pillow. The man saw that the boy already had some money and began to get angry again. The boy slowly counted his money and then looked at his father…
Dad: “Why do you want more money if you already have plenty?”
Son: “Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do”, he answered enthusiastically, “Dad, now I have $100. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow, I’d like to have dinner with you.”
The father was heartbroken. He understood that his son wasn’t being selfish or childish, he wasn’t looking to buy a toy. He just wanted the best gift a child can ask for: Time. The father put his arms around his little son and begged for his forgiveness.
If children could buy our time, they would do so without hesitation
Raising children successfully is partly synonymous with sharing “simmering” moments, respecting rhythms, and giving our little ones time to develop. For this, one of the main responsibilities of parents is to help their little ones evolve in our company and without stress.
Offering leisurely time means explaining things calmly, letting them ask questions, and creating a comfortable climate to answer them with interest and calm. It’s about promoting moments with children to share secrets, concerns, thoughts, and emotions.
Creating bonds based on this premise offers our little ones the psychological oxygen they need. Without stress, without demands, without measured expectations, without being attentive to our cell phone notifications of the ticking clock.
We can’t allow haste to steal magic from childhood. That’s why the best gift is of the highest quality. It’s not the command center for fashionable cartoons or the latest Disney dolls. The best gift is to share with them the most precious good that exists in life and that we can never get back. The best gift we can give our children is our time.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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- Bowlby, J. (1995). Teoría del apego. Lebovici, Weil-HalpernF.
- Garrido-Rojas, L. (2006). Apego, emoción y regulación emocional. Implicaciones para la salud. Revista latinoamericana de psicología, 38(3), 493-507. https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/805/80538304.pdf
- Marrone, M., Diamond, N., Juri, L., & Bleichmar, H. (2001). La teoría del apego: un enfoque actual. Madrid: Psimática.
- Moneta, M. (2003). El Apego. Aspectos clínicos y psicobiológicos de la díada madre-hijo. Santiago: Cuatro Vientos.
