The Gift of an Ordinary Day
February 27, 2023

Silly giggles, 3 am feeds, bedtime cuddles, wiped tears and heart-to-hearts. These are the moments you’ll treasure when your little one is all grown up.
I reckon that if anyone ever does invent a time machine, it’ll be a mum.
After all, wouldn’t you give everything you own to have one last snuggle with your little one, while they still think you’re the most amazing person they know?
Losing Time
A new University of New South Wales study has found that parents are spending an average of 4 hours a week less with their kids than a generation ago. But the time parents do spend with their kids is more focussed, like reading, playing and helping them learn — ‘intensive parenting.’
Author, Katrina Kenison, in her book The Gift of the Ordinary Day, talks about the fact that kids don’t need intense, spectacular or extraordinary. In fact, quite the opposite.
Kids treasure the time you spend with them, whether they’re the focus or not. Don’t add to the stress of life by thinking you have to be ‘all on, all the time’ with your kids.
Amongst all the dirty nappies, tantrums, mud and mess, it’s easy to forget these are the days you will treasure most.
Don’t forget to cherish the gift of an ordinary day.
‘It has taken a while, but I certainly do know it now — the most wonderful gift I had, the gift I learned to cherish above all else, was the gift of all those perfectly ordinary days.’
— Katrina Kenison (The gift of an ordinary day)
___
Originally published at Mum Daily. Photo by Anete Lusina.
Related News
My house is a mess (well, actually it isn’t any more because this cleaner is really, really good!), I meet most deadlines at 12.01 a.m. and my kids are just plain exhausting, but they know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I love them.
Annette Spurr
Single dads often carry tremendous weight. Some of the toughest times in my entire parenting journey happened when I was a single father. But I have also experienced joy in my life that, apart from being a parent, I never would have known existed.
All Pro Dad
News
Dads 4 Kids News is for writers to share interesting insights, news, and stories, to encourage dads and their families.
Most Read
The opinions of the various writers are not necessarily the opinion of Dads4Kids. Please do your own research and come to your own conclusions. We welcome feedback and if you would like to submit an article for the Daily Dad, please contact the editor at info@dads4kids.org.au










