You’re driving faster than you should. You pass that car you probably shouldn’t pass. You rush through the safety briefing. You don’t take the time to double check. You jaywalk instead of taking the longer way through the pedestrian intersection.

Why?

To save a little bit of time? You’re endangering your kids. Endangering your kids—for a couple extra minutes?

It’s crazy! As parents, we spend so much time worrying about our kids. We buckle them into car seats. We make them wear helmets. We tell them to look both ways. We lie awake imagining all the things that could happen to them.

And then take unnecessary risks because we’re running late or trying to get to the next thing?

It’s extra crazy considering that one of the most common feelings of being a parent is the interminable waiting, the incessant obligation of having to figure out what’s next. Yet here you are, trying to rush through something, to make things go faster instead of letting them take their natural course.

And what are you missing in the process? What memory might get made if you weren’t so focused on getting there faster?

Slow down. Be present. Be safe. Getting this thing over quickly not only endangers your family, but it presents more problems than it solves.