Time moves faster than we expect. One day you are rocking a baby to sleep, and the next you are handing over car keys.
When you realize how quickly childhood passes, it changes how you live today. Research shows that parents often underestimate how much time they truly have with their children before they leave home. By age 18, you have spent about 93 percent of your in-person time with your child. That number should wake you up.
You cannot slow time, but you can make the most of it. Put your phone down at dinner. Ask questions in the car. Say yes to one more story at bedtime. These small choices add up.
Take more pictures, but also be present without the camera. Listen more than you talk. Create traditions, even simple ones like Saturday morning pancakes or evening walks. What feels ordinary now will one day feel sacred.
Your kids will grow up whether you are intentional or not. The difference is whether you carry regret or gratitude when you look back. Choose to be present now, so when you blink again, you will know you gave your best moments to what mattered most.