Debbie Banks is an assistant professor of English at Southcentral Kentucky Community & Technical College.

Over many months, I had been spending every other Friday having lunch, feeding ducks, and going to the “library bookstore” (aka Barnes and Noble) with my mom and beautiful niece.  Then my favorite companion started Kindergarten and my mom and I have so missed spending that time fattening up ducks and reading every book in the store to find just the right one for her to take home.

Then I got the great news that an upcoming Friday was a teacher training day and there was no school.  It got me thinking about how fast time goes, how caught up in our daily lives we can be, how hard it is to find quality time to spend together, and how valuable every minute that can be shared together with loved ones really is.  So, I called my partner in crime and asked what she would like to do, and the plans came together to have lunch, feed ducks (the big bag of food) and go to the bookstore. 

Homework, sports, clubs, overtime, meetings, and generally very busy lives tend to make us forget the important things in life like spending time watching little ones grow up and have fun!  That feeling of having a little one crawl in your lap with a favorite book, or ask for help blowing bubbles or do crafts together is gone so fast that a lot of us miss it and then wish we had taken the time to enjoy the moments when they were there. 

Fall break is coming, autumn weather is settling in and the time is great for finding things to do with kids.  I encourage everyone to take at least one day or afternoon or even an hour or two and put the phone down, go to the park, blow some bubbles, color a picture or do a craft with a child. Rather than try to take pictures of it – enjoy it! 

Lots of parks are free, and going to community events is often free while getting everyone outside.  Coloring a favorite picture to place on the refrigerator is good for adults and kids alike.

One fun idea (that will take a little money and time) that I found that kids of all ages would enjoy is painting ladybugs! They can be done in traditional red and black or any color with various colors of googly eyes! The website https://www.parenting.com/article/ladybug-rocks has instructions and a materials list for the project. 

Some hints are that most of the things you need can be found at stores with $1 prices, and smooth rocks that are perfect can either be found in nature or bought from most mulch places with landscaping rocks.  For an added bonus, have the kids make two ladybug ‘rocks’ and share one with an older person, make several and share them at a nursing home or give them to a teacher when the kiddos return to school.  This is also a great idea for a group of kids to do together! 

Whatever the activity that is chosen, the time spent and the memories made will last a lifetime and bring happiness in an often chaotic world! Take the time to relax and enjoy that painting – it will bring a smile to faces until the next time. The little ones are only little once, so gobble it up!