by Dr. Ken Canfield
Happy 4th, dads!
I hope you’re able to enjoy a long weekend celebrating our nation’s freedom (if you’re in the U.S.). There are many good reasons to look forward to Independence Day, and I hope you go all out with celebrating and enjoying time with your family.
The 4th of July also epitomizes summertime. It’s about halfway through the summer, so it’s likely our kids have settled into the out-of-school routine while also wanting to enjoy every minute before school starts again next month. Maybe their camps are over by now to allow for family vacations; maybe sports schedules are pausing this week and then ramping back up.
Whatever your specifics might be, as a dad, this is a good time to ask:
What do I want to accomplish this summer with my kids?
It’s a question we wrote about several weeks back, but this holiday weekend is a good time to take stock of where you are and what’s left to tackle. Maybe a child will be entering a new stage of life and you want to help prepare him or her, or maybe you want to start a new habit of one-on-one time with each child each week.
On one hand, it makes sense to approach this question while thinking about each child’s development and maturity level and any issues you might need to discuss with them. On the other hand, there’s an approach that’s pure fun and nostalgia.
What are your favorite summer activities from childhood?
Eating s’mores? Playing games? Catching lightning bugs? They aren’t exactly traditions, but your kids would likely enjoy them just like you did. Some might even say that no summer is complete without them, and our staff has produced a list of great summer activities to do with your kids: Summer Fun Bingo. Click here to get the PDF.
Consider it a checklist to complete in the next five or six weeks. (You might already have a few of them done.) Maybe you can post it prominently in your house and let your kids help figure out how to complete it. The point isn’t to be rigid about each one; several of these might work better with some adaptation for your child’s age or interests.
The bigger point: don’t let the summer go by without making some father-child memories. I trust this tool will help you make it happen.
What would you add to the list? What do you and your kids enjoy during the summer? Let us know by posting a comment on our Facebook page.
