As I meticulously arranged my son’s toys into vibrant bins, I took the time to categorize his books first by language—since my partner, Leo, speaks to him in Spanish—and then by size. I even displayed an impressive array of stuffed animals in a charming stadium-style seating. Once everything was in place, I stood back and marveled at the transformation. My son finally had a spacious area to play in, and soon enough, his twin sisters would have plenty of room to romp around too.
When he returned from camp, I had a friend on hand to capture the special moment of unveiling his fabulous new playroom. He was overjoyed and shouted, “Thank you, everyone!” He dove right into playtime and entertained himself for a solid two hours while I tackled some unpacking upstairs. That was Monday.
By Tuesday, he rushed home from camp asking if he could play downstairs again, and I felt like I had hit the jackpot of parenting! But just five minutes later, he was back upstairs. I was glued to my computer, trying to catch up on emails amid the moving chaos, when he climbed onto my lap.
“Mommy, I just want to hug you. Mommy, I just want to kiss you. Mommy, I just want to sit on your lap,” he said, with those big, pleading eyes.
“Sweetheart, can you give me a few more minutes? I need to finish something,” I replied, hoping he would understand.
“No, Mommy. Come downstairs and cuddle with me.”
He didn’t want to be down there alone; he craved my presence. He wanted to see me, hear me, and be close to me. The playroom, no matter how stunning, didn’t hold a candle to the warmth of my hugs and kisses.
So, I threw my hands up in laughter—what else could I do? I made my way downstairs, where I quickly conked out on one of the inviting bean bag chairs. Naturally, my peaceful slumber was interrupted by a flurry of hugs, kisses, and the occasional knee drop as he bounced around in joy. Those little knees may be small now, but I know they won’t be for long. The day will come when cuddles and kisses won’t be top of his priority list anymore. I’m aware that one day I won’t be the shining star in his life, but that day isn’t today.
Right now, no toy or incredible playroom can replace the love and attention he craves from me. I built him a playroom, but all he really wanted was to play with me.
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In summary, while I created a beautiful playroom for my son, it turns out that the real treasure for him is simply spending time together.