Community Corner

Slowing Down the "Hurry Up Years"

Parents can feel the pressure to rush their kids through their days, missing some of the best moments.

Hurry up!! Parents throw down this frantic phrase as they plead with their child to GET MOVING to school, to dance class, to gymnastics or piano lessons or play dates. 

What if slowing down the "Hurry Up Years" is better for both parents and kids? Blogger Rachel Macy Stafford writes about Taking Off the Ticking Clock on The Huffington Post. She describes an epiphany during a trip with her daughter to The Sno-Cone Shack:

"This time, my daughter got a scoop of wedding cake and a scoop of cherry. I don't think I will ever forget how delicious that unlikely combination of flavors tasted. You see, my daughter gave me the very last bite.

Because I didn't rush her.

Find out what's happening in Algonquin-Lake In The Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Because I allowed her to take her time.

Because that big ol' ticking clock that I wore around my neck during my impatient Hurry Up Years had been left behind. Without the squeeze of that ticking clock around my throat, I could breathe; my child could breathe. I was all there with my daughter on that unforgettable day."

Stafford realized that slowing down was the most precious gift she could ever give her child. She started cherishing the moments that she used to rush away.

Tell us: How to you slow down enough to be "all there" with your kids?

Find out what's happening in Algonquin-Lake In The Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here