“Our kids are at the cutest age.”

This is a common refrain from my wife these days — and I agree. When I look at my toddler and her little sidekick, I’m acutely aware how fast the years will slip by before they’re off to school, spending more time with their friends than us, and then flying the nest altogether.

With two very young and dependent children, life is the hardest it’s been yet. But it’s also the most rewarding.

Squish, our two-year-old, is repeating incredibly complex language and constantly striving to live in the adult world. She’s sassy, confident, self-aware and an entertainer par excellence. I grieve to think she’ll one day outgrow her pigtails, mispronunciations, and that adorable button nose.

Squeak, now eight months, is on the cusp of crawling. Give him a box of toys and he’ll sit there studying them for half an hour without making a peep. But as soon as his sister’s in the room, he’s full of joy and trying to match her volume. Every week, we’re discovering new aspects of his little personality.

It’s easy to let the days blur together in the chaos of parenting, but my wife and I have been practising a few simple strategies to make the most of this fleeting season and really enjoy our kids at their cutest.

1. Create family rituals

Friday nights now mean two things in our household: pizza night and movie night. The pizza is simple and homemade, and the “movie” is usually a 25-minute episode of Daniel Tiger that suits our toddler’s attention span.

Admittedly, the anticipation surrounding Friday nights normally outshines the spectacle itself. But that’s the charm of it — and as parents, we’re just thankful for a break in routine after a hectic week.

2. Make them laugh

It’s easy to make little kids laugh. But I recently realised that the amount young children laugh is largely dependent on how proactive parents are at making them laugh.

When multiple days pass without a giggle from my kids, it’s a red flag for me that I need to slow down and sit with them long enough to light up their faces.

Silly voices, funny faces, tickle fights — all of it is fair game, and all of it creates a family culture of joy that your children will remember.

3. Slow down your schedule

Yesterday was the warmest afternoon we’ve had since autumn. It would have been a crime to stay inside, so I finished work an hour early and took the family to a local winery.

It was nothing fancy — just a picnic blanket and a chance to stretch out in the sun and watch the world go by. Squeak studied his toys, and Squish chased a ball before finding some goats on an adjacent farm who enjoyed being fed stems of long grass.

I don’t always have the flexibility to finish work early. And most of our family adventures are much simpler, whether a walk around the block, a visit to a local playground, or a popsicle in the backyard.

What’s important is slowing down your schedule enough to breathe, and enjoy the family you’re spending all that time working to support.

4. Say yes when you can

My wife is great at reminding me to say yes to our children as often as possible whenever they ask to play.

I’m getting better at leaving a few dishes unwashed, pausing a household project, and letting other priorities slide when Squish requests my company at a picnic with her stuffed toys, or Squeak, unprompted, gives me a beaming smile across the room.

These years won’t last forever. I can’t afford to let them pass me by.

The sleepless nights, sticky messes and tiny hands will soon be a memory. Whatever feels more important in life right now can wait.

Be all that you can be for your children, and commit to making the most of these precious years while you still have them.

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Image courtesy of Unsplash.