Short cute story about what a kid really wants.

And that’s when it hit me. My daughter wasn’t holding on to the memory of playing with these specific dolls. She was holding on to the memory of playing with me.

Time and money had been wasted when I could have simply used the toys we already had and fully engaged with her the way I had at the Honda dealership that day; free of distractions. No dishes to do, laundry to swap over, dogs to take out, lunches to make, text messages to answer. Just mommy entering her world of imagination. It broke my heart that I didn’t realize this sooner. It wasn’t the doll that had made her happy, it was quality time we spent playing together.

How much time are you giving your kids? I get it, it’s hard. We “trade” parenting with my wife taking most of the day and me taking 3 – bedtime while she works. There is so much for each of us to do every day to keep the house running.

But all your kids want is a bit of time with you paying attention to them, not distracted by whatever adult concerns you have.