Stockpiling Cuddles

Our family is eagerly anticipating the arrival of our 4th daughter this fall, and recently I've become more and more aware of how much my older three are noticing the changes that will occur.

The other night, my oldest (recently turned six) asked for "extra cuddle time" to "stock up on cuddles before the baby comes." We talked about it and she's already anticipating a decrease in my availability, or specifically in my ability to cuddle as she knows I'll be nursing a new little one.

My second daughter is actively practicing with her baby dolls and planning all the things she will teach her new sister.

And, even our youngest is getting into the act, chiming in and copying her sisters who make it a ritual to talk to the baby through my stomach and tell her that they love her and that they're planning fun things to do. The other night, our youngest (20 mos), perhaps a little confused, talked to Daddy's stomach to say, "I love you baby."

I've always tried to make it a priority to spend one-on-one time with my girls every day, whether reading, talking, doing fun things or even chores, and we make it a habit to take our girls on one-on-one parent/child date nights. However, with each new member of our family, taking that time and making sure to fill their love tanks whether it's through cuddles, talks, spending time, or doing things together, gets a little trickier.

How do you navigate busy schedules and multiple children to develop your parent/child relationships in your home? Do your kids stockpile cuddles?

Written by Kristina Light