Slow Down and Snuggle
- Randi Zinn
- Dec 20 2013
- 0 comments

I think one of the more surprising aspects of being a parent is how much your kids teach you, instead of the other day around. Recently, one of those lessons came in the simplest of forms: a new word.
When my son Micah picked up the word Snuggle and my heart honestly melted. To see his little face, his reaching, pudgy arms, and his pleading eyes as the word Snuggle escaped his lips was almost too much for this mama. And just like that, the word has become one of his favorites—next to mommy, daddy, and paci of course! It’s also become one of his favorite things to do. Sometimes amidst some of the most unlikely moments, he’ll simply stop and demand a snuggle, requiring me to either pick him up or sit on the floor so he can plop into my lap and nuzzle into my chest. But like anything else that starts out as cute, as these moments becomes more frequent it can sometimes get…dare I say, less charming? Borderline annoying? I feel like a bad mommy saying this, but let’s face it, sometimes there’s emails to write, laundry to fold, or calls to make, and a snuggle session just isn’t at the top of the to-do list.
This morning however, as I scurried around my apartment preparing for my day- Micah stopped me in my tracks and sweetly asked for a snuggle. And though I felt a little pressed for time, I realized that if I really asked myself the BIG question—is anything more important than snuggling with my son?—the answer would be a resounding NO! So I slowed myself down, plopped down at my closet door and let him climb into my lap. We sat there for a few minutes and I let the moment be. Within five minutes or so, he began to wriggle out from my lap and started collecting toys in a pile in my closet. Before I knew it, snuggle time was over. I suppose he got whatever he needed from that moment and I suppose I did too.
Sometimes our kids may seem demanding and force us out of our perceived to-do list, but every moment is a learning one. And my son continually shows me when to slow down and be present with him, especially during this crazy holiday season where the to-do list never seems to get shorter. Thanks kiddo, for teaching this Mommy, yet another good lesson.

Randi Zinn
Randi Zinn is the founder of Beyond Mom and randizinn.com. Born from her own experience of motherhood, and the desire for a more connected community, Beyond Mom offers mixers, events and retreats for forward-thinking New York moms. She encourages moms to cultivate a life “Beyond Mom”—one that embraces the gifts of motherhood but expresses all that they are as individuals: creators, businesswomen, thinkers, friends and so much more. Randi has partnered with Comptoir Des Cottoniers, SoulCycle, Mio Skincare, TOWN Real Estate, The Mother Company, Body Conceptions and IntenSati. Her writing has appeared in FitBump, Epoch Times and Well Rounded NY. She is a certified yoga instructor through Laughing Lotus NY and has taught since 2008.