I took her yesterday to do a series of errands we needed to accomplish. She needed new jeans. I needed some soap. And she had an allowance she wanted to use to get a new stuffed animal. So we went to the clothing store first, grabbed a stack of clothes to try on and headed for the fitting rooms. We took one in the corner of the area, and she tried on one outfit at a time, showing me each one, and sorted them into “yes,” “no,” and “maybe” piles. We were probably there for 45 minutes. No hurrying. We discussed the merits and drawbacks of each article, and talked about our budget – what we had to spend on clothes that day. And ultimately, we found what we were looking for and left.

From there, we went to a locally owned gift shop where the stuffed animals she wanted were. While she sorted through the large shelf from which she could choose and tried to make a decision, I moseyed around the store filling a basket with little things for my wife’s Christmas stocking. She got done before me, so she played with her new stuffed dog on a couch and even picked out something she wanted to give her mom for Christmas.

My point: we probably could have done all these errands in an hour. Instead, it took three and a half. Why? Because we took our time, stopped for a tea in between stores, and basically just chatted with each other. It was yet another chance to be close with my daughter – something I relish greatly.

http://www.davidsnieckus.com/articles.php?id=106

Enjoy the holidays
david