Having a houseful of kids is a blast, but it can be a challenge making sure everyone is getting all the attention they need. When it comes to my kids, I don’t want to “love them all.” I want to “love them each.”
A few months ago, on a whim, when one of the little ones needed a moment with me, I said dramatically, “Please come in and speak with me in my office,” with a sweeping gesture onto the front porch. (It was the only quiet spot available at the time, where we could talk in private.) It was a defining moment. From that time until now, when one of my kiddos needs some one-on-one time she’ll say, “Can I talk to you in your office?” It might be my bedroom or theirs, a porch or quiet spot in the garage, but it becomes “the office.” Sometimes it’s a serious conversation about hurtful words at school, or changing bodies, or a dream. The conversations are usually short and sweet, but have sometimes involved longer, more serious situations, grief and tears. What a precious honor to have a little time to be face-to-face, heart-to-heart and soul-to-soul with my amazing child!
Now they do it with Dad. “Can I talk to you in your office?” No computer, no phone, no interruptions allowed. “The Office” has become an important tool to make sure that each member of our large, loud, crazy brood gets what he needs.
