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| Making Memories – and Very Happy Kids by Melissa Bogdany In April, we talked about the importance of fathers spending time with their children in the article “Time Is of the Essence: Spend Time With Your Kids; It’s What They Want." This article offers a few examples of effective ways one dad spends time with his girls.
My husband, Tim, is a good dad. No, he’s a great dad. Here’s why. He comes home from a long day at work, tired and ready to relax. Before he opens the front door, both girls are inside screaming with excitement, “Daddy’s home! Daddy’s home!” I hear it every day. I wonder if he knows. Why are our girls excited to see their dad? Here’s one reason. He walks no more than two steps inside the front door, in dress pants, shirt and tie, when the kids begin asking, “Do you want to jump on the trampoline?” Despite being ready to kick back and relax, after clothes are changed, he is out in the back yard on the trampoline with our 8-year-old, Emily, and 2 1/2-year-old, Aubry. They love jumping on the trampoline so much—but what I think they love most about it is Dad does it with them. As I write this, I am thinking about my older daughter’s date with her daddy tonight. They are going with some friends to see a movie. Last night, he asked her what she’d like to have for snacks at the movies. They talked excitedly about their plans together. And this morning before he headed off to work, he asked me where his “snack list” was that Emily created last night. He wanted to make sure he left for work with not only his cell phone, computer and wallet … but his “snack list.” Today he called and said, a bit concerned, “I don’t know if I’ll be able to find Sour Patch Kids.” I am sure he’ll get it handled. When Tim is outdoors and sees something the kids would enjoy seeing, he makes it a point to come inside and enthusiastically call them out to see the frog or lizard or caterpillar. Then I’ll see the baby swing flying by outside the living room window. He’s pushing Aubry high in the swing, and she’s giggling and grinning from ear to ear. Aubry loves to go for boat rides on our lake out back. “Daddy, can we ride the boat?” Tim has put aside plans he had to do stuff around the house to take her for an evening boat ride because he knows how happy that would make her. When my kids experience moments like this, I know that they have the best dad in the whole world. They appreciate him so much not because he makes a lot of money or is so successful at his job or lands a key account. It’s because he invests in his relationship with them. He does this not because it’s always easy or convenient, but because his priorities are in the right place. Being young and knowing nothing different, the kids may not realize all that they have. But someday they will look back upon a boatload of memories with their dad and cherish each and every one of them. Melissa Bogdany is a freelance editor and writer, the wife of an awesome dad, and the mother of Emily and Aubry. | Top | Share Your Thoughts... Be the first to comment on this article! |
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Dads, if you want to know what your young children really appreciate about you, here are a few observations from a mom who sees the impact her husband has on their kids.
