I posed this question to my kiddos one afternoon during our devotional time. The answers came shooting out all at once; we don’t really have the raise-your-hand-thing down super great around here, so I found myself frantically writing their responses. As I was writing at super-human speed, I missed how profound and tender their answers actually were. Their shouts of excitement included…
Shelter
Water
Good food
A jump rope
Mom & Dad
Family & Friends
Church
A Hula Hoop
Jesus Christ & Heavenly Father
Our Prophet
Swedish fish and nerds
Fun
Tree forts
Horses and dogs and cats and turtles and fish
Dirt bikes and bikes
Trees to climb
Water to play in
A Giant Mastiff Puppy who protects us and loves us
Clothes
Socks without holes
Good books, math pages, paper and glue sticks
Then on their own, they piped in with what kids don’t need:
Kids don’t need drugs or tattoos or piercings…well, okay…
After listing what my kiddos yelled out in response to this simple question, I cannot help but smile. They know what is important…not once did I hear the answers that you might suspect you’d hear…these were real “things” that they feel all kids need. Now, if I had asked, “What do all kids want???” I may have heard an entirely differing list, but I am grateful that they can distinguish between needs and wants. (Well, for the most part…I wouldn’t really classify motorcycles, hula hoops and Swedish fish as needs, but I am the Mom and not the kid…so what do I know?)
My favorite of all was when one of them said, “Tree forts are something all kids need!” I mentioned to them that I didn’t have a tree fort when I was little. This actually seemed tragic to them, “But kids NEED a tree fort, where are you supposed to go when you need to read or just hang out?” And then another added in, “sometimes you just need to be there.” I thought back to the many, many times I had found a child, or two or three or ten, sitting high up in that little fortress, and as I listened to their feelings about tree forts, I felt a little tug deep within me that came with a tinge of regret…I haven’t enjoyed these moments with my kids…but that will change! I will climb up that scary, rickety ladder and I won’t be afraid of falling down into the creek below; instead I’ll just focus on that beautiful child I am sharing such a magnificent memory with and treasure it forever.
As I ponder the question, “What do all kids need”, I am humbled at the simple reality that what our children most need in this life is right at our fingertips, if we will but only take the time to share it with them…quite simply, they need our love, time and attention. A Mom or a Dad who genuinely shows an interest in their child will touch that child’s heart forever. Their needs are much the same as ours…we just take the simplicity out of life by adding in everything we think they (and we) “need” to be happy and successful, only causing chaos and frustration with the busyness of it all. We would do well to focus on the sweet, simple treasures of life and enjoy them with our kiddos.
“In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time. Taking time for each other is the key for harmony at home. We talk with, rather than about, each other. We learn from each other, and we appreciate our differences as well as our commonalities. We establish a divine bond with each other as we approach God together through family prayer, gospel study, and Sunday worship.” – (President Uchtdorf - “Of Things That Matter the Most“)
Because of the innocence and wonder of my children…I may never look at a tree without the thought of building a magnificent “fort” to enjoy…maybe we’d all be a little happier if we could run outside to our tree fort when days felt hard…just something to think about!
Wishing you a month filled with beautiful memory making moments!
Stacey
