Issue link: https://fredparent.uberflip.com/i/1172724
6 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • October 2019 PUBLISHER Leigh Anne Van Doren Tabitha & Jamie Nelle's mom EDITOR Chris Jones Quincy, Hayden & Olive's dad MEDIA & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Megan Walsh: Mia, Noelle, and Adelaide's mom DESIGN & PRODUCTION Cheryl Carter, President, Carter Creations Alex, Kate & Jackie's mom WEBMASTER Karen Charney: Joshua & Spencer's mom, and Abby's mother-in-law SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING MANAGER Lovedy Carroll: Meredith's mom CALENDAR & COOL THINGS TO DO ELETTER Leigha Pecher: Jake and Luke's mom EDUCATION AND INFANT ELETTERS Debra Caffrey: Aidan's mom parent fredericksburg & family Entrepreneur of the Year PROUD FOUNDING MEMBER ADVERTISING PHONE 540-429-3572 EMAIL leighanne@fredericksburgparent.net CALENDAR & SOCIAL MEDIA E-MAIL webmaster@fredericksburgparent.net EDITORIAL PHONE 540-429-3572 E-MAIL fredparenteditor@gmail.com SNAIL MAIL P.O. Box 7884, F'burg, VA 22404 www.fredericksburgparent.net The publishers reserve the right to reject any advertisement, editorial or listing that does not meet the publication's stan- dards. No part of this magazine may be reproduced with out permission. Listing and advertising rates are available upon request. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information con- tained herein, however, the publisher cannot guarantee such accuracy. Listings and advertisements are sub- ject to typographical errors, ommissions and/or change without notice. For terms and conditions please visit our website at www.fredericksburgparent.net © Copyright 2019 Nurture, Inc. All rights reserved. LIKE facebook.com/ FredericksburgParent SIGN UP www.FredParent.net TWEET twitter.com/fredparent PIN www.pinterest.com/ fredparent FOLLOW @fredparentmagazine I've always loved fall for the reason I love Sundays—its beauty, crispness and tranquility. I love hearing the crunch of fallen leaves when I'm walking on a trail. I love feeling the cool evenings settle in from my front porch while watching my children play. And I love transition of the night sky from summer to winter—when it's blacker and my favorite planets shine brighter. Solitude is nurturing, but I haven't always seen it as such. As an extrovert, learning to appreciate solitude took time. I draw energy from crowds, and I love meeting new people. I learned that from my upbringing. My house was the hub for all family activity—Sunday dinners, holiday meals, family gatherings and Super Bowls. We had an open-door policy. From a young age, I was entertaining cousins and serving my aunts and uncles. There was no such thing as "down time" unless you were going to bed. As an adult, that carried over. I've always bounced between activities—school, work, family time, client meetings, networking, happy hours, exercise, and I've always been ready to roll at a moment's notice should I get a text or a call. This year, that changed. With my wife working most evenings, I end my work- day at 5 p.m. and spend time hanging out with and talking to my children. That's been a different experi- ence. I'm used to intense conversations with other adults about sports, creativity, and personal develop- ment. Instead, I find myself talking about Minecraft, Peppa Pig, and which YouTubers are the funniest. I won't lie, some days I feel like I have cabin fever and I crave adult conversation (OK, most days…I'm an extrovert, remember?). Other days, I feel myself emotionally distancing myself from the myriad of simultaneous conversations my kids like to have with me—they don't always believe in waiting their turn. Recently though, I asked myself, "What would happen if I just embraced this?" So I did. I started using the time to learn more about myself and focus on becoming a more com- plete person—a better husband, a better dad, and a better professional. It's amazing how things come into focus when you're outside of the noise. You see yourself clearly and your perspectives change. As for my kids, I talk to them about the things I would discuss with my adult friends. I ask them questions about music, art, books, science, politics and other assorted topics. Children have an amazing perspective that's refreshing if we listen. I even share some of my work challenges with them to see how they'd solve those. As a tried and true extrovert, I thought I would wither and die if I wasn't out and about conversing with everyone I met, but I haven't. Instead, I've learned to enjoy my own company and I've gotten to see how insightful my kids can be. All wins. WRITTEN BY CHRIS JONES letter to readers "Children have an amazing perspective that's refreshing if we listen." How My Kids Changed My on Solitude PERSPECTIVE