Trips are wonderful. Specially planned days can be special. It’s great to go to cool places. It’s fun to treat our kids.

But you know what’s best? What every kid deserves and gets only rarely in this busy noisy world? Presence.

It’s sort of sad when you think about it—that they may get p-r-e-s-e-n-t-s more than they get our full and undivided p-r-e-s-e-n-c-e. Like when we fully enter their world. When we fully engage and are interested. When we really listen. When we put aside the correcting and the controlling and just be with them.

That’s what they actually crave. That’s what they’ll remember. Not the tickets, not the toys, not the Instagram-worthy excursions, but those moments we were really there and made them feel safe and seen and loved.

So yes, take the trip. Do the big thing when you can. But don’t forget: what our children want most, what they need most, is you. Here and now.