Appreciating Your Kids, Why Does the Time Go by So Fast?

I feel the same way my oldest is 36 and has a 9 yr old. It seems like yesterday I was holding her for the first time.

Some things that I do are:

When your child draws a picture for you, date it, and also write a story of your own on the back about what was going on that day. Journal in short stories, clip or staple them and throw them in a small box labled with their name. Our 8 year old loves to look back at stuff she drew when she was 2 and reading the small journal stories I wrote.....such as "Daddy is at work, you and I just made cookies together, it is raining out." Stuff like that will keep the memories alive.

Take tons of video and pictures, look at them often!

Write down the funny things they say. Make a quote book. We have one for each of our kids. So many funny things to read with them as they get older.

Start traditions with your kids if you already haven't. They will remember those and so will you!

Time does fly..... However, what's more important than time are moments.. so try measure life in moments... Become more present... it takes work to be in this specific moment, but it's all you've really got... I have to practice this and it does take work, but it's so rewarding when I am completely in this moment... my son knows the difference too and appreciates as I call it, a more "apparent" parent... we can't stop time, yet you can stop and smell and the roses.... enjoy your little flowers now... even if it means taking a step back at some point in the day and realizing how blessed you are.... breathe......... aahhhhhh life is good.. :)

The best parenting advice I EVER got I got the day he was born, from one of the nurses. Not even an OB or Ped nurse, just someone stopping by to see the 6month old newborn (my son was 10lbs, 23.5 inches, could hold his head up, and would NOT swaddle. He wanted to have his head up looking around and his arms and legs free).

"It's all over in a blink, you know. A BLINK. One day it seems like you're never going to get any sleep, and you're so sick of diapers, and crying... but you sit there rocking... and close your eyes... and they're gone. All grown up. It seems long, every freakin day seems sooooo long... but it's all over in a BLINK."

I blinked once last week when he was 3, and now he's 9.

Marda P. is right. Remember how slowly time crawled along when you were a kid (especially in the last few weeks of the school year)? It gets faster and faster from there! But you can't fix that. All you can do with it is keep your focus as much as you can.

Time flies because life has more responsibilities in it. But put this on your to-do list: Look at your husband and your children. Look at them. Listen to them. Enjoy them. Tell them so. Train yourself (it takes some training!) to be able to put the budget, the next meal, and the next carpool aside for a little while to enjoy those you love. Decide that every day, every stage of life will be as enjoyable as you can make it. This may sound corny, but attitude has a lot to do with the passage of time - and everything else.

Marda's got the secret – it's a decision to focus on what's happening right now, in this moment. The more focus you give it, the more you get from your "every" moments, and the stronger and more satisfying your memories will be.

Life does get busy. And time does fly. All the more reason to be focused here and now!

Wishing you many excellent moments.

I'm 68 and time is still going by too fast. lol I focus each day on what I'm grateful for. I started this with a gratitude journal. I no longer write it down but I purposefully focus on what I'm doing and how much I enjoy it. Then at the end of the day, I go over the day remembering the things that I want to continue to remember, feeling gratitude for them.

Wish I had a trick to slow down time! Remember, no matter how busy we are- it's all good. I remember sitting with a baby in a rocking chair in the middle of the night, I was tired and had to work the next day but I knew that before I knew it he wouldn't be rocking in my arms at all, so I tried to enjoy it rather than think about the sleep I was missing. sadly there are no more rocking babies in my house now. Next time your kids make a big mess, think would a picture of this be cute some day? When all their friends are over, think I hope they hang around when they are teens. and when you are longing for peace and quiet, think wouldn't it be TOO quiet without any kids? When they throw tantrums, think would this be a great video to show them when they have kids of their own? I'm not saying dont ever discipline your kids, but even when you have to discipline them, deep inside, smile and be glad they are healthy enough to get in trouble and young enough it isn't serious trouble!

I guess that's what led me to my hobbies of writing, photography, and scrapbooking. When I can't sleep in the wee hours of the night it's something quiet that I can do and I feel like the act of concentrating on a moment helps slow time down a little for me. That sounds weird...but it is what it is. I feel like life is on fast forward, and then a moment on play, or even slow motion. I try to capture those moments and tell in my own form of scrapbooking what that meant to me, or why that moment was special. I don't do just a straight photo album or scraps of random stuff as much as more a storytelling, or almost letters to the boys, in those books. That's what works for me. And purposely slowing down and taking in some moments, or even CREATING some with your children. It does go fast. I have as big a to do list as anyone (much bigger than many, lol) but I took to putting time into my dayplanner, and the day is not done until I've spent some chill out time with the boys: together, AND individually. But I think about my youngest right now and think sheesh----not doing a good enough job. He's going to be 2 in 2 days. I've somehow lost a year in there I think.

Hah, I had my third a year ago!! Yes, he just turned a year on 11/4 and I swore I would do the same thing...slow it down and enjoy. Now poof, he is 1 already and I want my little baby back. One thing is for sure, I am enjoying him a TON right now. Taking every moment to really get in the moment with him and play and ENJOY! And I am and we are very happy. I think taking lots of pictures and videos to look back on really help too. Although I have been bad at both too these days. Just not enough time in the day at all for much and then I feel like I am ignoring my older two (5 and 7). I talked to SAH mom's who spent a LOT of time with their kids and still felt like it went by too fast. I WFT, so I cherish what little time we do have together. Just enjoy it for what it is, with no regrets. Good luck!!

Lots of pictures, write down the cute and funny things they say. Savor the moments!!! Mine are 33, 30 and 28 OMG...seems like just yesterday....

Yes. I completely understand. I love teenagers. That's why I teach high school. Now my own children are 7 and 13, and I love the ages that they are, but I feel like I wished away their younger years wishing for them to be older. Don't get me wrong, I loved my boys at all of their ages, but I've never been a baby or toddler person. I was thrilled when they got through those stages. Now I wish they would just curl up in my lap one more time the way they did when they were small. They will both still curl up on the couch with me, but it's not the same as when they were tiny. I do love the conversations we have now, though. I just need time to slow down . . . These ages feel so perfect. :) Of course, 10 and 16 sounds pretty fun to me, too! ;)

I feel the same way. A lot lately. I cannot believe that my oldest is going to be 16! It feels like time flew :(

My 3rd (and LAST) is about to turn 2!! The others are 6 and 8 as well! You know what makes me feel better about missing those baby years? The fact the my newlywed brother and SIL can start trying any second now ;)