By Deena Moosa
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July 6, 2025
The Joy of Coloring with My 5-Year-Old: A Journey of Love, Imagination, and Slowing Down Time doesn’t ask. It doesn’t pause or wait for anyone. But sometimes, we want it to stop or just pause for a while. As my daughter prepares to start school this September, I’ve found myself holding onto these final weeks of uninterrupted togetherness with quiet intensity. Not with panic — but with purpose. I want to slow down. I want to notice more. I want to be here. For us, that “here” often looks like crayons scattered across the floor, colored pencils rolling off the table, and pages coming to life with purple suns and polka-dotted horses. We sit shoulder to shoulder, surrounded by color and creativity, and something remarkable happens: we connect — not just as mother and daughter, but as two artists exploring the world in our own ways. Coloring has become more than an activity. It’s a rhythm, a ritual, a shared language between us. While her little hands experiment with shapes and shades, I watch her ideas unfold without boundaries. She isn’t worried about “staying inside the lines.” Her art isn’t filtered by rules or judgment. It’s honest. Joyful. Free. That freedom reminds me of what creativity should be. We talk about everything and nothing while we draw. She tells me which animal she wants to be today, and I tell her about the stars. I correct her gently when she forgets her lowercase “b,” but I never touch her colors — because they are hers to choose. That’s how she learns. Not just motor skills or blending hues — but how to trust her ideas. How to see something from nothing. How to be confident in a world that often asks children to hurry up, to fit in, to follow. In these moments, I’m not teaching her. I’m learning with her. We’ve made it a habit to sit and color almost daily, even if it’s only for a few minutes. No screens, no rushing. Just pencils, paper, and presence. Some days, her imagination runs wild. Other days, she colors quietly while I breathe in the silence. Both are beautiful. Both are enough. And maybe that’s the lesson for me, too — that being present is what makes the ordinary magical. These next two months aren’t about preparing her for school academically. They’re about holding space. For creativity. For silliness. For growing confidence. For love. I want her to remember that before the backpacks and bells, there was a summer where she was seen, heard, and endlessly encouraged. If you’re a mom reading this, maybe you’re feeling it too — that bittersweet mix of pride and longing as your little one grows. I see you. We’re all learning how to let go slowly, without rushing the goodbye. But today, there’s still time. Time to sit. Time to color. Time to be. Let’s capture these days not only in photos, but in presence and play.
